STACK 

ANNEX 


N  INDEX 

°    FORBIDDEN  BOOK 

S.BETTEN  5 


ACKANNt 


The    Roman    Index   of 
Forbidden   Books 


BRIEFLY  EXPLAINED  FOR  CATHOLIC 
BOOKLOVERS  AND  STUDENTS 


BY 
FRANCIS  S.  BETTEN,  S.J. 


FIFTH   EDITION 
ENLARGED 


B.  HERDER  BOOK  CO., 

17   South   Broadway,   St.  Louis,   Mo., 

and 
68  Great  Russell  St.,  London,  W.  C, 

1920. 


NIHIL  OBSTAT 
St.  Louis,  August  15,  1915 

A.   J.    Burrowes,    S.    J., 

Praep.    Prov.    Missour. 

NIHIL  OBSTAT 
Sti.  Lujoiici,  die  6.  Aug.  1920 

F.    G.    Holweck, 

Censor  Librorum 

IMPRIMATUR 
Sti.  Ludovici,  die  7.  Aug.  1920 

•^Joannes  J.    Glennon, 

Archiepiscopus 
Sti.  Ludot'ici. 

Copyright,   1909 

by 
Joseph  Gummersbach 

All  rights  reserved 
Printed  in  U.  S.  A. 


VAIL-BALLOU    COMPANY 

•  IHaXANTON  A»D  NC1D  TOU* 


NOTE 

This  short  treatise  was  written  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  cannot  devote  much 
time  to  the  study  of  the  Index.  The  fol- 
lowing books  will  serve  to  obtain  a  more 
detailed  information. 

Rev.  Timothy  Hurley. —  A  Commentary  on 
the  Present  Index  Legislation.  Dublin, 
Brown  and  Nolan.  New  York,  Ben- 
ziger  Bros.  $1.25. 

Rev.  Arthur  Vermeersch,  SJ. —  De  prohi- 
bitione  et  censura  librorum.  St.  Louis, 
B.  Herder.  $0.85. 

Rev.  Jos.  Hilgers,  S.J. —  Der  Index  der 
verbotenen  Biicher.  St.  Louis,  B.  Herder, 

$3-25- 

Rev.  Jos.  Hilgers,  S.J. —  The  Roman  In- 
dex and  its  Latest  Historian.  A  Critical 
Review  of  "  The  Censorship  of  the 
Church  of  Rome"  by  George  Haven 


2063353 


NOTE 

Putnam.     Techny,    111.     Society    of    the 

Divine  Word.     10  cents. 
"Censorship  of  Books"  and  "Prohibited 

Books,"   articles  by   Rev.   Jos.    Hilgers, 

S.J.,  in  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia. 

An  English  translation  of  the  Constitu- 
tion "  Officiorum  ac  munerum "  is  con- 
tained in  The  Great  Encyclical  Letters  of 
Pope  Leo  XIII,  with  Preface  by  Rev. 
John  J.  Wynne,  SJ.  New  York,  Ben- 
ziger  Bros.  $2.00. 

FRANCIS  S.  BETTEN,  S.J. 
St.  Ignatius  College, 
Cleveland,  O. 

A  short  summary  of  this  book,  entitled,  "  Ten 
Elementary  Questions  Concerning  the  Roman 
Index  of  Forbidden  Books,"  is  published  by  the 
Society  of  the  Divine  Word,  Techny  III.  (5 
cents.)  It  will  be  found  serviceable  for  distri- 
bution in  clubs  and  societies,  for  sale  at  the 
church  doors,  and  for  supplementing  the  religious 
instruction  in  the  higher  classes  of  educational 
institutions. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

SECTION  I. —  COMMENTARY. 

1.  The    Index I 

2.  The  Power  of  the  Church    ....  4 

3.  Book     Prohibitions     Antedating     the 

Roman    Index 7 

4.  The  Roman  Index II 

5.  Books  Forbidden  by  General  or  Par- 

ticular  Decrees 13 

6.  Duties  Imposed  by  Law  and  by  Nature  18 

7.  Who  Puts  Books  on  the  Index?  .     .  24 

8.  The  Method   of  Examination     ...  28 

9.  The  Spirit  of  the  Index  Congregation  33 
10.    Further    Explanations 35 

a.  Why  an  Author  is  not  Permitted 

to  Defend  His  Book     ...  35 

b.  The    Index    does    not    Advertise 

Bad    Books 37 

c.  Index  Decisions  not  Omitted  for 

Fear  of  Apostasies  ....  39 

d.  The  "  Good  Catholic "  .     .     .     .41 

e.  A  Mortal  Sin 43 


CONTENTS. 

PACK 

f.  The  Galileo  Case 44 

g.  Non-Catholic  Book-Laws  ...     46 
h.    Some  Examples  of  submission  to 

the  Index 48 

SECTION  II. —  A  SUMMARY  OF  THE  INDEX. 

1.  Our  Duties  in  Relation  to  Forbidden 

Books 51 

2.  Forbidden   Books 53 

a.  Books  Forbidden  by  General  De- 

crees       53 

b.  Books    Forbidden   by    Particular 

Decrees  62 


APPENDIX:    LITERARY  GUIDE-BOOKS      ...    72 


SECTION  I 
COMMENTARY 

i.    The  Index. 

In  1901,  a  reviewer  of  the  Roman  Index 
of  Forbidden  Books  opened  his  criticism  by 
congratulating  himself  upon  having  before 
him  a  genuine  copy  of  that  book,  of  which, 
he  says,  only  a  very  limited  number  were 
printed  for  the  exclusive  use  of  "  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Church."  Owing  to  its  scarcity, 
he  thinks,  the  owner  of  the  volume,  which 
he  had  borrowed,  must  have  paid  at  least 
two  hundred  dollars  for  it.  He  could  have 
bought  a  brand  new  copy  for  $2.25.  The 
Index  of  which  he  speaks,  issued  by  order 
of  Leo  XIII,  in  1900,  is  for  sale  in  this 
country  by  B.  Herder,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  So 
I 


2  COMMENTARY 

are  the  three  later  editions  (1901,  1904, 
1907),  the  last  two  issued  under,  and  by 
order  of,  our  gloriously  reigning  Pontiff, 
Pious  X.  When  the  critic  felt  his  heart 
beat  with  joy  upon  being  allowed  to  view 
with  his  own  blessed  eyes  a  book  so  rare, 
so  expensive,  and  so  jealously  guarded  by 
"  the  leaders  of  the  Church,"  a  whole  edi- 
tion of  that  same  book  had  already  been 
sold,  and  a  second  was  about  to  be  put  on 
the  market.  Its  title  is  now: 

Index  librorum  prohibitorum,  Leonis 
XIII  Sum.  Pont,  auctoritate  recognitus 
SS.  D.  N.  Pii  P.  X  iussu  editus.  Pramit- 
tutitur  Constitutions  Apostolicce  de  ex- 
amine et  prohibitione  librorum.  (Index  of 
forbidden  books,  revised  by  the  authority 
of  Pope  Leo  XIII,  and  issued  by  order  of 
His  Holiness  Pope  Pius  X.  Preceded  by 
the  Apostolic  Constitutions  on  the  exami- 
nation and  prohibition  of  books.) 

A  glance  at  the  neatly  printed  volume 
will  disclose  the  reason  why  it  is  called 
"  Index  " ; —  almost  nine-tenths  of  it  con- 
sists of  a  catalogue  of  books  condemned 
by  the  Roman  authorities.  Of  still  greater 


THE  INDEX  3 

importance  than  this  catalogue  are  the  first 
thirty-four  pages,  which  give,  in  the 
"  Apostolic  Constitutions,"  the  general  laws 
of  the  Church  regarding  books. 

There  are  only  two  "  Constitutions." 
But  the  whole  work  is  introduced  by  a 
brief  of  Leo  XIII,  in  which  the  Pontiff  de- 
clares that  this  edition  is  to  be  the  authen- 
tic one  for  the  whole  Church.  It  is  to  be 
binding  on  all  the  faithful  of  the  universe, 
regardless  of  race  or  language,  nationality 
or  country,  education,  learning  or  station 
in  life.  In  a  preface  headed  "  Lectori  S.," 
the  Secretary  of  the  Roman  "  Congregatio 
Indicis  "  compares  this  edition  of  the  "  In- 
dex "  with  the  former  ones,  points  out  the 
changes  that  were  made,  and  explains  the 
technical  arrangement  of  the  book. 

After  these  preliminaries  follow  the 
"Constitutions."  The  first  is  the  "  Offi- 
ciorum  ac  munerum  "  of  Leo  XIII,  dated 
Jan.  25,  1897.  This  document  recasts  the 
whole  legislation  of  the  Church  regarding 
the  production,  dissemination,  reprinting 
and  prohibition  of  such  books  as  the  Church 
may  and  must  concern  herself  with.  It  ab- 


'4  COMMENTARY 

rogates  all  former  laws  and  regulations  of 
General  Councils  as  well  as  of  Sovereign 
Pontiffs,  with  one  exception :  the  Constitu- 
tion Sollicita  ac  provida  of  Benedict  XIV, 
also  reprinted  here,  by  which  this  great 
pope  established  or  rather  sanctioned  a 
method  —  the  one  still  in  use  —  of  exam- 
ining and  passing  sentence  on  the  books 
submitted  to  the  Roman  authorities. 

These  two  Constitutions  contain  the  en- 
tire general  legislation  of  the  Church  on 
the  head  of  books. 

There  is  no  "  Index  expurgatorius."  If 
there  were,  it  would  consist  of  books  con- 
demned conditionally,  donee  corrigantur, 
"  until  amended."  But  such  books  are  all 
entered  in  the  ordinary  Index,  with  those 
two  Latin  words  added.  In  Pope  Leo's 
edition  they  are,  besides,  marked  with  an 
asterisk. 

2.    The  Power  of  the  Church. 

That  the  Church  has  the  right  to  legis- 
late on  the  publication  and  use  of  all  books 
that  touch  on  questions  of  faith  and  morals, 
must  be  evident  to  every  Catholic.  It  is 


POWER  OF  THE  CHURCH  5 

a  truth  clearly  contained  in  the  words  of 
Christ  to  St.  Peter :  "  Feed  my  lambs, 
feed  my  sheep,"  and  in  the  duty  imposed 
on  the  Apostles  of  "  teaching  the  faithful 
to  observe  all,  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you." 

The  fact  that  general  councils  as  well 
as  many  popes  have  issued  laws  and  de- 
crees regarding  books,  is  sufficient  evidence 
of  their  power  and  of  their  commission  to 
do  this.  This  very  fact  must  also  convince 
us  that  the  observation  of  these  laws  must 
be  salutary  and  conducive  to  the  welfare  of 
the  Church  at  large  and  of  the  individual 
Christian. 

The  inventions,  discoveries  and  progress 
of  our  times  can  introduce  no  change  in 
this  respect.  The  human  mind  is  still  as 
prone  to  err  and  as  much  subject  to  the 
persuasive  influence  of  books  as  it  ever 
was.  Good  books  are  as  useful  to-day  as 
they  were  in  olden  times,  and  objectionable 
writings  have  the  same  deplorable  effects 
they  had  a  thousand  years  ago. 

Nor  can  the  Church,  possessing  the 
power  to  watch  over  our  reading,  neglect 


6  COMMENTARY 

to  make  use  of  this  power  when  the  salva- 
tion of  souls  calls  for  its  exercise.  Bad 
literature  is  one  of  the  worst  enemies  of 
mankind.  The  Church  can  never  allow  it 
to  corrupt  the  hearts  of  her  children  or  to 
undermine  the  foundation  of  their  faith, 
without  at  least  raising  a  warning  voice. 

How  great  are  the  precautions  the  civil 
authorities  take  in  case  of  an  epidemic ;  yet, 
no  matter  how  seriously  the  precautions 
hamper  traffic  and  trade,  we  find  them  rea- 
sonable. We  should  even  censure  our  ex- 
ecutive and  legislative  officers  if  they  omit- 
ted to  take  proper  precautions.  But,  says 
Pope  Leo,  in  the  Constitution  Officiorum  ac 
munerum,  nothing  can  be  conceived  more 
pernicious,  more  apt  to  defile  souls  than 
uncurbed  license  in  the  writing  and  dissem- 
inating of  bad  books.  "  Therefore,"  he 
continues,  "  the  Church,  whose  office  it  is 
to  watch  over  the  integrity  of  faith  and 
morals,  has  ever  striven,  as  far  as  in  her 
power  lay,  to  restrain  the  faithful  from  the 
reading  of  bad  books  as  from  a  deadly 
poison." 


3.    Book    Prohibitions    Antedating    the 
Roman  Index. 

"  The  early  days  of  the  Church  witnessed 
the  earnest  zeal  of  St.  Paul,"  when  the 
Christians  at  Ephesus  brought  together  all 
the  superstitious  books  they  had  in  their 
possession  and  burned  them  publicly.  This 
example  of  loyalty  to  the  Church  cost 
them,  as  Holy  Scripture  says,  between 
eight  and  nine  thousand  dollars.  Such  was 
the  policy  in  regard  to  bad  books  at  Ephe- 
sus at  a  time  when  the  Apostle  whom 
many  love  to  call  the  most  liberal  and 
broadminded,  ruled  that  part  of  the  Church. 

Every  subsequent  age  records  similar 
measures  of  vigilance.  The  first  General 
Council  of  Nicaea,  in  325,  besides  proscrib- 
ing the  heresy  of  Arius,  also  issued  a  de- 
cree prohibiting  the  use  of  Arius'  book 
Thalia,  which  contained  his  heresy ;  indeed, 
at  all  times  the  condemnation  of  a  heresy 
by  the  Church  entailed  the  prohibition  of 
the  works  propagating  it.  Pope  St.  Leo 
the  Great,  440-461,  does  not  hesitate  to 
declare  that  one  who  reads  forbidden 
7 


8  COMMENTARY 

books    cannot    be    considered    a    Catholic. 

In  the  early  days  the  Church  had  to 
direct  her  attention  largely  to  the  many 
so-called  apocryphal  books,  falsely  claimed 
to  have  been  inspired  by  God  and  to  form 
part  of  Holy  Scripture.  In  496,  Pope 
Gelasius  issued  his  famous  decree,  in  which 
he  enumerates  the  true  books  of  the  Bible, 
a  number  of  the  writings  of  the  Fathers, 
(which  he  recommends,)  together  with  a 
short  list  of  apocryphal  and  heretical  books, 
the  reading  of  which  he  forbids. 

In  745,  by  order  of  the  Pope,  a  Roman 
synod  examined  and  forbade  a  number  of 
superstitious  books  sent  by  St.  Boniface, 
who  had  found  them  among  the  Germans. 

In  fact,  already  in  those  days  the  entire 
present-day  book  legislation  of  the  Church 
existed  in  all  its  essential  features,  though 
there  were  few  written  decrees.  It  seems 
the  loyal  Christian's  duty  of  avoiding  bad 
books,  and  the  power  of  the  Church  to  pro- 
hibit them,  were  held  to  be  so  self-evident 
that  the  need  of  written  laws  was  not  felt. 

The  necessity  of  watching  over  the  men- 
tal food  of  the  faithful  became  more  urgent 


LAWS  ANTEDATING  THE  R.  IND.       9 

when,  in  the  fifteenth  century,  was  invented 
printing,  which  popes  and  bishops  hailed 
as  a  "  divine  art "  and  eulogised  as  the 
greatest  blessing  of  God's  providence  in  the 
natural  order.  It  spread  rapidly.  Before 
the  year  1500,  the  city  of  Rome  alone  had 
one  hundred  and  ninety  printing  establish- 
ments. The  oldest  of  them,  in  the  first 
seven  years  of  its  existence,  produced  not 
less  than  twenty-eight  works  in  forty-seven 
editions,  the  total  number  of  pages  being 
one  hundred  and  twenty-four  millions. 

As  to  the  moral  quality  of  the  books 
printed  at  that  period,  a  German,  Wimphel- 
ing,  writes  with  pardonable  pride  in  1507: 
"  We  Germans  practically  control  the  whole 
intellectual  market  of  civilized  Europe; 
the  books,  however,  which  we  bring  to  this 
market  are  for  the  most  part  high-class 
works,  tending  to  the  honor  of  God,  the  sal- 
vation of  souls,  and  the  civilisation  of  the 
people."  How  soon,  alas,  was  this  to 
change!  Even  while  these  words  were 
written,  the  evil  was  already  striking  root, 
and  steps  had  been  taken  by  the  civil  as 
well  as  by  the  ecclesiastical  power,  to  pre- 


10  COMMENTARY 

vent  the  printing  and  spreading  of  noxious 
books. 

But  it  was  not  until  the  beginning  of  the 
so-called  Reformation  that  the  boundless 
increase  of  heretical  and  other  pernicious 
literature  called  for  radical  and  extensive 
measures.  They  began  in  1520  with  the 
solemn  condemnation  of  Luther's  doctrine 
and  the  prohibition  of  his  writings.  About 
that  time  the  first  indexes  or  catalogues  of 
forbidden  books  appeared.  They  were  not 
issued  by  the  popes,  but  emanated  mostly 
from  bishops,  provincial  councils,  or  uni- 
versities. The  civil  power  was  expected  to 
enforce  them.  In  some  cases  the  princes 
themselves  or  the  magistrates  of  cities  and 
republics  issued  their  own  indexes,  in  full 
harmony  and  after  consultation  with  the 
clergy. 

As  the  object  of  these  measures  was  to 
safeguard  the  faithful  against  imminent 
danger,  we  can  easily  understand  that  cata- 
logues  of  forbidden  books  were  most  nu- 
merous in  those  countries  that  were  most 
exposed  to  heresy,  namely,  Germany,  Bel- 
gium, France,  and  Northern  Italy. 


ROMAN   INDEX  II 

It  is  remarkable  that  Henry  VIII  of 
England,  who  afterwards  fell  away  from 
the  Church,  was  among  the  first  to  legis- 
late against  heretical  books,  his  index  of 
forbidden  books  appearing  as  early  as  1526. 
After  his  apostasy  he  continued  with  in- 
creased severity  the  policy  of  prohibiting 
books  which  he  deemed  objectionable. 

4.    The  Roman  Index. 

More  than  thirty  years  after  the  first 
index  of  Henry  VIII  had  appeared,  the 
first  Roman  Index  of  Forbidden  Books  was 
compiled  and  issued  by  Paul  IV,  1559, 
It  remained  in  force  only  a  few  years,  till 
1564,  when  the  so-called  Tridentine  Index 
was  published  under  Pius  IV.  It  was 
called  "  Tridentine,"  because  it  had  been 
drawn  up  by  a  commission  appointed  for 
this  purpose  by  the  Council  of  Trent.  It 
was  milder  than  the  Index  of  Paul  IV,  and 
contained  divers  "  Index  rules,"  the  fore- 
runners of  the  general  decrees  embodied  in 
the  Constitution  "  Officiorum  ac  munerum." 

The  Tridentine  Index  remained  the  Ro- 
man Index  for  more  than  three  hundred 


12  COMMENTARY 

years.  Its  "  rules  "  were  occasionally  mod- 
ified, new  regulations  were  added  or  old 
ones  abrogated,  other  books  were  inserted 
in  the  catalogue;  but  the  essential  features 
remained  the  same. 

In  1897,  Leo  XIII  took  the  matter  up 
again.  The  index  of  forbidden  books  was 
thoroughly  revised.  About  a  thousand 
titles  were  dropped.  The  "  rules,"  too,  were 
revised,  "to  make  them  milder,  without 
altering  their  nature,  so  that  it  cannot  be 
difficult  or  irksome  for  any  person  of  good 
will  to  obey  them." 

This,  then,  represents  the  whole  book 
legislation  of  the  Church.  There  are  no 
other  documents,  except  the  decrees  by 
which,  as  occasion  demanded,  individual 
books  were  forbidden.  The  encyclical  of 
Pius  X  on  Modernism  merely  enjoins  on 
the  bishops  special  vigilance  in  regard  to 
publications  infected  with  modernistic 
views. 

This  universal  legislation,  however,  does 
not  preclude  the  local  prohibition  of  books 
by  bishops  or  other  ecclesiastical  authori- 
ties. Thus  Spain  had,  until  1820,  its  own 


GENERAL   AND    PARTIC.   DECREES       13 

Index,  controlled  by  the  Spanish  Inquisi- 
tion. 

5.     Books  Forbidden  by  General  or  Par- 
ticular Decrees. 

As  we  have  already  mentioned,  the  Con- 
stitution "  Officiorum  ac  munerum  "  estab- 
lishes the  general  laws  by  which  books  are 
forbidden.  As  will  be  seen  in  our  Sum- 
mary, these  laws  deal  with  classes  of  books. 
The  only  one  named  expressly  is  the  Bible. 
But  all  the  books  clearly  contained  in  these 
classes  are  as  strictly  condemned  as  those 
listed  singly  in  the  second  part  of  the  Index, 
sometimes  even  more  strictly. 

Pope  Leo  changed  the  Tridentine  rules 
"  without  altering  their  nature."  It  is,  in- 
deed, difficult  to  see  how  the  nature  of  these 
regulations  could  have  been  changed.  They 
simply  express  the  point  of  view  from 
which  the  Church  must  look  upon  objec- 
tionable publications.  While  opposing  and 
condemning  spoken  error,  the  Church 
surely  cannot  allow  full  sway  to  the  printed. 
In  regard  to  the  second  part,  or  Index 
proper,  many  wrong  notions  are  current. 


14  COMMENTARY 

One  of  these  is,  that  this  Index  contains 
all  the  books  forbidden  by  the  Church,  and 
that  there  are  no  others  which  we  are 
obliged  to  avoid.  From  the  foregoing  re- 
marks, it  must,  on  the  contrary,  be  con- 
cluded that  there  are  many  other  books  for- 
bidden by  the  laws  of  the  Church.  The 
worst  of  them  are  not  in  this  special  Index 
at  all,  because  they  fall  under  the  general 
decrees. 

It  is  by  no  means  the  intention  of  the 
Roman  authorities  to  catalogue  all  the  liter- 
ary virus  that  has  been  vomited  forth  by 
printing  presses  all  over  the  world  in  the 
course  of  four  and  a  half  centuries.  By 
means  of  the  general  laws  laid  down  in  the 
"  Officiorum  ac  munerum "  we  are  in  all 
cases  able  to  see  our  duty. 

There  are  especially  two  purposes  for 
which  books  are  prohibited  separately  and 
by  name. 

Whenever  there  is  a  doubt  about  the  na- 
ture of  a  book,  recourse  may  be  had  to 
Rome;  sometimes  the  Roman  authorities 
appointed  for  this  purpose,  will  take  up  the 


GENERAL   AND    PARTIC.   DECREES       1$ 

matter  without  being  appealed  to.  They 
will  investigate  and  decide  by  putting  the 
book  on  the  Index,  or,  by  dismissing  it. 
This  is  the  case  with  most  books  publicly 
censured.  It  was  the  case  with  the  books  of 
Schell  and  Loisy,  which,  it  was  strongly 
urged  by  learned  men,  propagated  ideas 
contrary,  or  at  least  dangerous,  to  the  faith, 
though  a  host  of  followers  admired  them 
as  orthodox  masterpieces.  Rome  had  to 
speak,  and  settled  the  controversy  by  con- 
demning the  books  in  question. 

Dismissal  does  not  always  mean  that  a 
book  is  unobjectionable.  The  authorities 
may  refrain  from  pronouncing  deserved 
condemnation  for  reasons  of  prudence  and 
expediency. 

Sometimes  the  preservation  of  discipline 
or  religious  unity  necessitates  this  step. 
Thus  about  two  hundred  years  ago  the  Pope 
had  imposed  silence  on  two  factions  that 
were  carrying  on  a  theological  feud.  This 
silence  was  violated  on  both  sides,  a  book 
appearing  for  the  defence  of  either  position. 
What  was  more  natural  than  that  both 


16  COMMENTARY 

books  should  be  put  on  the  Index?  These 
and  similar  cases  could  not  be  covered  so 
clearly  by  the  general  decrees. 

What  has  thus  far  been  said,  offers  a 
partial  solution  of  another  current  error. 
The  Index  is  not  a  studiously  selected,  not 
even  a  systematically  arranged  catalogue  of 
objectionable  books.  It  was  the  need  of 
the  moment,  doctrinal  blunders,  cavillations 
and  heresies,  grievous  trespasses  against 
discipline  and  charity,  proceeding  from  ani- 
mosity or  want  of  tact,  that  caused  the  in- 
sertion of  most  of  the  books.  In  nearly  all 
cases  the  Roman  authorities  confined  them- 
selves to  books  concerning  which  they  were 
appealed  to ;  and  as  there  was  no  system  in 
the  making  of  these  appeals,  there  could  be 
no  system  in  the  condemnations.  In  the 
new  Leonine  edition  of  the  Index  the 
books  are  enumerated  alphabetically  by  au- 
thors or  pseudonyms;  anonymous  books 
are  listed  according  to  titles. 

It  must  now  be  obvious  to  the  attentive 
reader  why  most  of  the  books  put  on  the 
Index  are  works  on  theology,  or  on  the  his- 
tory and  government  of  the  Church,  and 


GENERAL  -AND  PARTIC  DECREES   17 

why  (as  may  be  expected  in  the  case  of  such 
publications),  a  considerable  percentage 
are  written  in  Latin.  However,  a  goodly 
number  of  books  are  on  the  Index  because 
they  are  detrimental  to  good  morals.  There 
are  very  few  there  which  treat  of  the  nat- 
ural sciences.  The  Index  will  not  busy  it- 
self with  publications  on  electricity  or 
X-rays,  unless  an  author  on  a  subject  of 
this  sort  devote  a  considerable  part  of  his 
work  to  attacks  upon  religion. 

There  are  some  well-meaning  people 
who,  while  agreeing  that  the  productions 
of  Zola,  Dumas  and  other  writers  of  the 
same  sort,  fully  deserve  condemnation,  can- 
not understand  why  works  like  Ranke's 
History  of  the  Popes,  which  is  an  acknowl- 
edged authority  in  its  line,  should  be  pro- 
scribed. Such  works  are  not  on  the  Index 
for  the  good  things  they  contain,  but  for 
the  poison  they  mix  with  the  wholesome 
food  so  cleverly  that  it  takes  more  than 
ordinary  scholarship  and  discretion  to  sep- 
arate the  one  from  the  other. 

The  Roman  Committee  of  Cardinals, 
which  has  charge  of  this  part  of  ecclesias- 


l8  COMMENTARY 

tical  discipline,  is  not  at  all  bent  on  pro- 
scribing books.  Works  like  the  one  men- 
tioned are  never  put  on  the  Index  unless  it 
is  quite  clear  that  the  mischief  to  be  feared 
from  them  will  far  outweigh  the  good  they 
may  do.  Scholars  and  students  well 
grounded  in  their  faith,  who  have  a  real 
and  legitimate  cause  for  reading  a  forbid- 
den book  can  easily  obtain  a  dispensation. 
It  is  clear  from  the  preceding  explana- 
tions that  a  book  may  sometimes  be 
dropped  from  the  Index.  This  is  done 
when  a  book  has  long  ceased  to  be  danger- 
ous, or  a  cause  of  dissension,  or  if  it  has 
fallen  into  oblivion.  Thus  Pope  Leo  XIII 
caused  to  be  expunged  about  a  thousand 
titles.  This  does  not  imply  a  reproach  for 
the  authorities  of  former  centuries,  much 
less  the  giving  up  of  an  iota  of  the  old  prin- 
ciples. 

6.    Duties  Imposed  by  Law  and  by 
Nature. 

Suppose  a  person  were  so  well  grounded 
in  faith  and  virtue,  so  thoroughly  versed 
in  theology,  philosophy,  and  the  natural 
sciences,  that  the  reading  of  books  e.  g. 


LAW  AND  NATURE  19 

on  Christian  Science,  or  the  works  of  Vol- 
taire, would  not  harm  him.  The  Index  pro- 
hibits these  books;  would  he  whom  they 
could  not  harm  be  allowed  to  read  them? 
As  we  put  the  case,  he  would,  by  reading 
them,  not  commit  the  sin  of  seriously  en- 
dangering his  soul.  Yet  he  would  sin  by 
disregarding  a  positive  law  of  the  Church. 
These  laws  are  like  the  precautionary 
measures  taken  by  the  civil  authorities  in 
times  of  epidemic;  if  they  are  to  have  the 
desired  effect,  they  must  be  observed  by  all. 
When  the  community  is  under  quarantine, 
those  who  declare  themselves  free  from 
the  disease  must  observe  the  regulations  as 
well  as  the  rest. 

Let  those  who  think  they  have  a  good 
reason  for  reading  a  forbidden  book,  and 
who  are  not  mistaken  in  supposing  that 
there  is  no  danger  for  them,  humbly  ask 
for  permission,  as  did  the  Saints.  By  do- 
ing so  they  declare  that  the  standpoint  of 
the  Church  is  theirs,  and  that  they  willingly 
submit  to  a  power  which  was  entrusted 
with  the  care  of  "  teaching  to  observe  what- 
soever I  have  commanded  you."  "  We 


20  COMMENTARY 

have  to  develop  a  loving  habit  of  loyalty 
and  obedience  to  the  Church  as  to  Christ, 
our  Savior." 

Suppose,  on  the  other  hand,  there  were 
no  Church  laws  prohibiting  pernicious 
reading.  In  that  case  should  we  be  al- 
lowed to  read  any  book  we  pleased?  By 
no  means.  We  should  then,  it  is  true,  by 
reading,  e.  g.,  Zola's  novels,  not  commit  an 
act  of  disobedience  to  the  Church.  But, 
as  already  hinted,  there  is  another  duty  im- 
posed on  us  by  God  Himself  —  the  grave 
duty  to  guard  our  soul  from  serious  danger. 
This  duty  does  not  depend  on  any  positive 
law  or  decree  of  authority,  and  it  equally 
binds  the  Christian  and  the  non-Christian. 
It  is  expressed  in  the  fifth  commandment: 
"  Thou  shalt  not  kill."  This  duty  corres- 
ponds on  our  part  to  what  we  ask  of  God 
in  the  sixth  petition  of  the  Our  Father : 
"  Lead  us  not  into  temptation."  We 
should  undoubtedly  violate  it  by  reading 
Zola's  filthy  works.  The  prohibition  of 
these  works  by  the  Church  merely  adds 
another  obligation  to  that  imposed  by  the 
natural  law,  thereby  considerably  strength- 


LAW  AND  NATURE  21 

ening  our  will  and  enabling  us  to  resist 
every  enticement  to  read  what  can  be  read 
only  at  a  serious  risk  to  our  soul. 

This  grave  duty,  therefore,  is  not  im- 
posed by  the  Church  and  cannot  be  taken 
away  by  the  Church.  It  is  a  natural  duty 
and  as  such  remains  in  force  even  after 
we  are  granted  a  formal  permission,  which 
is  neither  intended  nor  able  to  suppress 
temptations  that  may  arise  from  the  pe- 
rusal of  bad  books.  If  we  have  a  good  rea- 
son to  apply  for  permission  —  curiosity  is 
not  a  good  reason  —  then  and  then  only  can 
we  expect  a  special  protection  from  Divine 
Providence.  Of  course,  this  protection 
does  not  dispense  us  from  the  necessity  of 
using  all  the  means  of  self-protection,  both 
natural  and  supernatural. 

I  know  of  a  priest  who  was  in  every 
way  a  model  man.  He  fell  suddenly  away 
from  the  Church,  married,  and  is  now  a 
foremost  champion  in  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy.  His  apostasy  is,  not  without  rea- 
son, attributed  to  the  reading  of  infidel 
books,  though  no  doubt  he  had  the  neces- 
sary dispensation. 


22  COMMENTARY 

There  was  another  priest,  who  has  mean- 
while died  the  death  of  the  just,  a  cele- 
brated author  and  art  critic.  In  writing  a 
work  on  Voltaire  he  had  to  study  the  books 
of  that  arch-agnostic.  He  obtained  the  req- 
uisite permission,  but,  while  perusing  Vol- 
taire's writings,  he  was  on  his  knees,  to 
implore,  as  it  were,  by  this  humble  posture 
the  protection  of  God  against  the  wicked 
influence  to  which  he  was  exposed. 

St.  Francis  of  Sales,  the  great  and 
learned  Bishop  of  Geneva,  had  obtained 
permission  to  read  the  books  of  heretics  in 
order  to  refute  them,  and  he  is  careful  to 
let  his  readers  know  the  fact,  at  the  same 
time  thanking  God  in  pathetic  words  that 
his  soul  had  suffered  no  harm  in  so  great 
a  danger. 

This  grave  natural  duty  in  the  choice  of 
our  reading  matter  extends  much  farther 
than  the  legislation  of  the  Church.  Par- 
ents and  priests  do  not  comply  with  their 
obligation  of  controlling  the  reading  of 
their  charges  if  they  merely  look  up  the  In- 
dex to  see  whether  a  certain  book  is  men- 
tioned there.  If  an  otherwise  unobjection- 


LAW  AND  NATURE  23 

able  book  contains  an  obscene  passage  of  a 
page  or  so,  no  one  will  claim  that  it  falls 
under  the  general  law  prohibiting  obscene 
books.  Nor  is  it  likely  to  be  put  on  the  In- 
dex. Yet  such  a  book  is  apt  to  work  havoc 
in  the  innocent  soul  of  your  daughter  or 
son,  perhaps  in  your  own.  As  long  as  that 
passage  is  in  it,  the  book  —  even  though  it 
is  not  on  the  Index  —  cannot  and  must  not, 
under  pain  of  sin,  be  allowed  in  the  hands 
of  children. 

Would  that  this  twofold  duty  were  al- 
ways faithfully  complied  with,  especially  in 
our  large  cities,  where  books  of  every  sort 
are  within  easy  reach.  Do  not  many,  per- 
haps all,  public  libraries  offer  among  other 
books  such  as  are  "  derogatory  to  the 
Church,  the  hierarchy,  the  religious  state," 
and  especially  novels  which  "  defend  as 
lawful  or  tolerable,  freemasonry,  suicide, 
divorce  "  ?  How  can  we  expect  our  young 
people  to  have  Catholic  views  on  courtship 
and  marriage,  on  the  priesthood,  on  the 
veneration  of  the  saints,  if  we  allow  them 
to  imbibe  the  ideas  of  such  writers  as  Bal- 
zac or  Dumas?  It  is  deplorable  enough 


24  COMMENTARY 

that  the  modern  novel  is  the  catechism  of 
millions  outside  of  the  Church.  We  must 
not  allow  it  to  displace  the  Catholic  cate- 
chism or  to  unteach,  totally  or  in  part,  the 
truths  taught  by  it. 

7.     Who  Puts  Books  On  The  Index? 

The  popes  have  at  all  times  exercised  the 
prerogative  of  their  supreme  office  as 
guardians  of  the  faith  by  condemning  books 
opposed  to  the  faith.  The  latest  of  such 
condemnations  is  that,  in  1862,  of  the  works 
of  the  Munich  professor,  Frohschammer, 
who  answered  this  condemnation  by  falling 
away  from  the  Church.  There  are  in  all 
144  books  that  were  individually  proscribed 
by  a  papal  document.  In  Pope  Leo's  edi- 
tion they  are  marked  with  a  dagger.  Yet 
only  in  cases  of  the  utmost  importance  did 
the  popes  act  themselves.  To  facilitate  the 
government  of  the  world-wide  Church,  in 
the  course  of  centuries  special  commit- 
tees of  cardinals  were  appointed,  to  whom 
part  of  the  pontiff's  various  duties  were 
entrusted.  These  committees  are  styled 
Congregations.  A  larger  or  smaller  num- 


WHO  PUTS  BOOKS  ON  THE  INDEX?  25 

ber  of  learned  priests  and  bishops,  gener- 
ally called  Consultors,  assist  the  cardinals 
and  practically  do  the  greater  part  of  the 
work,  though  the  final  decision  in  all  cases 
is  reserved  to  the  cardinals.  Outside  of  the 
Congregations  there  are  also  several  Ec- 
clesiastical Courts  in  Rome,  one  of  which 
will  be  named  later  on. 

The  highest  of  the  Roman  Congregations 
is  the  Sacrum  Officium,  the  "  Holy  Office," 
the  prefect  of  which  is  the  Pope  himself. 
It  was  founded  in  1542.  Its  purpose  is  to 
watch  over  the  purity  of  Faith  and  to  judge 
of  the  doctrines  propounded  in  any  part  of 
the  Church  whether  by  word  of  mouth  or 
by  printed  publications.  For  a  number  of 
years  after  its  organization  there  was  no 
other  authority  entrusted  with  the  task  of 
examining  and  passing  on  books.  When 
Paul  IV  intended  to  publish  the  Index  of 
Forbidden  Books  mentioned  on  page  n,  the 
Holy  Office  did  the  preparatory  work  and 
drew  up  the  list  of  books  to  be  inserted. 
Fourteen  years  later,  however,  it  was 
thought  that  a  separate  Congregation  would 
be  better  able  to  attend  to  the  examination 


26  COMMENTARY 

and,  if  necessary,  condemnation  of  books. 
The  new  Congregation  of  the  Index  of  For- 
bidden Books  was  planned  and  devised  by 
St.  Pius  V  in  1571,  and  was  formally  es- 
tablished in  the  following  year  by  his  suc- 
cessor, Gregory  XIII.  Henceforward  the 
Holy  Office  confined  its  activity  concerning 
objectionable  books  to  the  most  important 
cases,  as  when,  in  1903,  it  proscribed  the 
works  of  the  French  priest  Loisy,  which 
practically  denied  the  supernatural  character 
of  Holy  Writ. 

But  the  bulk  of  the  work  was  performed 
by  the  Congregation  of  the  Index,  from 
which  indeed  more  than  eighty  percent  ot 
all  prohibitions  of  individual  books  have 
emanated.  This  Congregation  consisted  of 
seven  or  ten  cardinals  with  about  thirty  con- 
suitors,  many  of  whom  were  bishops.  Be- 
sides passing  on  books  which  were  submitted 
to  it  for  decision,  it  also  had  to  register  all 
condemnations  pronounced  by  either  the 
Holy  Office  or  the  Pope  himself,  and  to  see 
that  they  were  duly  entered  in  the  new  edi- 
tions of  the  Index. 


WHO  PUTS  BOOKS  ON  THE  INDEX?  27 

Under  Pope  Pius  X  was  brought  about 
a  long  desired  reform  of  the  central  govern- 
ment of  the  Church.  The  competency  of 
many  of  the  Roman  Congregations  was 
more  clearly  denned,  and  several  of  those 
originally  instituted  were  either  suppressed 
or  united  with  others.  The  Congregation 
of  the  Index  received  a  wider  sphere  and 
greater  power.  While  formerly  it  passed 
only  on  books  in  regard  to  which  it  was 
expressly  appealed  to,  it  now  became  a  reg- 
ular vigilance  committee  for  the  whole 
Church.  Pope  Pius  X  says :  "  For  the  fu- 
ture it  shall  be  the  province  of  this  Sacred 
Congregation,  not  only  to  examine  diligently 
the  books  reported  to  it,  to  prohibit  them  if 
this  should  seem  well,  and  to  concede  dis- 
pensations ;  but  also  to  investigate  officially 
in  the  best  available  way,  whether  writings 
of  any  kind,  that  should  be  condemned,  are 
being  circulated;  and  to  remind  the  Ordi- 
naries, how  strictly  they  are  bound  to  con- 
demn pernicious  writings  and  to  denounce 
them  to  the  Holy  See."  After  the  great 
Pontiff's  death  it  became  publicly  known, 


28  COMMENTARY 

that  he  had  cherished  a  further  plan,  which, 
however,  for  special  reasons  he  left  to  his 
successor  to  carry  out. 

Although  the  most  weighty  considerations 
prompted  both  St  Pius  V  and  Gregory 
XIII  to  form  the  separate  Congregation  of 
the  Index,  times  and  circumstances  have 
changed  in  these  more  than  three  hundred 
years.  In  A.  D.  1917  Pope  Benedict  XV 
reunited  the  Congregation  of  the  Index  with 
that  of  the  Holy  Office,  to  form  a  special 
section  of  that  body.  The  aim  and  activity 
of  this  section  remain  unchanged,  but  its 
acts  and  decrees  will  now  be  invested  with 
the  authority  of  the  Holy  Office.  Only  the 
affairs  which  refer  to  Indulgences  will  be 
handled  by  the  Tribunal  of  Penance,  the 
Sacra  Poenitentiaria,  one  of  the  Courts  of 
the  Church,  because  of  their  close  relation 
to  the  Sacrament  of  Penance.  Practically 
the  Holy  Office  is  the  successor  of  the 
former  Congregation  of  the  Index.  It  is 
natural,  the  Pope  says,  that  a  Congregation 
whose  purpose  it  is  to  supervise  the  teaching 
of  Faith  and  Morals,  should  also  be  com- 
missioned to  watch  over  the  publication  of 


METHOD  OF  EXAMINATION         29 

books  and  writings.  It  performed  this  task 
in  the  beginning  and  has  always  exercised 
the  power  of  passing  on  books.  By  this 
transfer,  the  Pope  points  out,  every  danger 
of  a  collision,  which  might  become  very  em- 
barrassing, is  evaded.  The  prevention  of 
such  collisions  has  indeed  been  one  of  the 
chief  reasons  for  Pius  X  to  undertake  the 
complete  reorganization  of  the  Roman 
Curia.  (See  Acta  Apostolicae  Sedis,  vol. 
IX,  pp.  162,  167.)  Only  a  few  verdicts 
concerning  objectionable  books  have  ema- 
nated from  the  Holy  Office  since  the  sup- 
pression of  the  Index  Congregation. 

The  Roman  Congregations  are  not  infal- 
lible. But  they  represent  the  Pope  in  his 
capacity  as  shepherd  of  the  entire  flock  of 
Christ.  Therefore  we  owe  them  obedience. 
Their  regulations  and  orders  must  find  us 
even  more  willing  to  obey  than  those  of  our 
bishops  and  pastors,  to  whom  only  a  small 
portion  of  Christ's  kingdom  is  committed. 

8.    The  Method  of  Examination. 

Our  confidence  in  the  fairness  of  the  ver- 
dicts of  the  Roman  authorities  will  be  much 


30  COMMENTARY 

increased  if  we  acquaint  ourselves  with  the 
method  they  follow  in  carrying  out  their 
task.  This  method  was  outlined  by  Pope 
Benedict  XIV  in  1753  in  his  bull,  Sollicita 
ac  Provida  for  the  Holy  Office  and  the  then 
existing  Index  Congregation.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  slight  differences  suggested 
by  the  Order  of  Business  adopted  in  each 
of  the  two  Congregations,  it  is  the  same  for 
both.  The  Holy  Office  proceeds  in  the  fol- 
lowing way. 

There  is  regularly  a  session  on  Monday 
comprising  only  those  members  of  the  Con- 
gregation who  are  not  Cardinals,  in  order 
to  deliberate  about  the  matters  to  be  pro- 
posed to  the  latter.  The  Cardinals  hold 
their  meeting  on  Wednesday,  and  in  this 
session  the  final  step  is  decided  upon.  But 
the  decree  of  the  Cardinals  must  still  be  re- 
ported to  the  Pope,  without  whose  consent 
no  verdict  of  any  Congregation  may  be 
published. 

Now  when  there  is  the  question  of  the 
condemnation  of  a  book,  it  is  first  handed  to 
one  of  the  consultors,  who  must  study  and 
examine  it  carefully.  He  must  draw  up  a 


METHOD  OF  EXAMINATION         31 

detailed  report,  noting  exactly  the  passages 
which  he  finds  objectionable,  and  pointing 
out  redeeming  features.  The  book  with  his 
report  next  goes  to  the  other  consultors,  so 
that  each  one  can  satisfy  himself  whether 
the  first  examiner's  view  is  well  founded, 
and  has  an  opportunity  to  formulate  his  own 
judgment.  The  matter  is  then  proposed  in 
one  of  the  Monday  sessions  -,  ind  publicly 
discussed.  A  vote  is  taken  as.to  the  step  to 
be  recommended  to  the  Cardinals.  Then 
the  book  together  with  the  first  report,  the 
notes  of  other  consultors, -and  the  vote  ar- 
rived at  in  the  preliminary  Monday  session 
goes  to  the  Cardinals,  who  in  the  Wednes- 
day session  will  give  their  final  verdict. 
Lastly,  the  matter  is  laid  before  the  Pope  for 
his  sanction. 

Nobody  will  deny  that  this  is  an  excellent 
method.  A  book  is  examined  at  least  three 
times,  before  a  verdict  is  reached,  and  a 
large  number  of  picked  scholars  participate 
in  the  proceedings,  each  of  whom  has  taken 
an  oath  never  to  allow  himself  to  be  swayed 
by  sympathy  or  antipathy,  and  to  have  noth- 
ing in  view  but  the  welfare  of  souls. 


32  COMMENTARY 

It  has  been  customary  to  give  the  verdict 
in  one  of  these  four  technical  phrases : 
Datnnetur,  "  condemned  " ;  dimittatur,  "  dis- 
missed " ;  donee  corrigatur,  "  forbidden  un- 
til amended  " ;  res  dilata,  "  the  case  is  post- 
poned." The  verdict  donee  corrigatur  can 
of  course  be  given  only  when  a  book  admits 
of  correction.  If  it  is  thoroughly  bad  (if 
written  for  instance  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
eulogizing  Freemasonry  or  maligning  Cath- 
olic bishops),  a  donee  corrigatur  would  have 
no  meaning. 

If  the  author  is  a  Catholic,  he  must  be 
informed  before  the  decree  is  published. 
If  but  a  few  copies  of  the  book  have  been 
sold,  and  the  author  promises  either  to  sup- 
press it,  or  to  issue  an  amended  edition, 
if  possible,  the  decree  is  not  published.  But 
even  when  this  cannot  be  prevented,  e.  g. 
when  a  whole  edition  is  already  in  circula- 
tion, credit  is  given  to  the  author  in  the 
decree  itself  for  declaring  his  submission, 
by  adding  the  words:  auctor  laudabiliter 
se  subjecit,  "  the  author  has  praiseworth- 
ily  submitted." 

Great  care  is  taken  to  have  all  books  ex- 


SPIRIT  OF  THE  EXAMINERS 


33 


amined  by  men  who  are  not  only  well 
versed  in  the  subject  matter,  but  who  also 
understand  thoroughly  the  language  in 
which  they  happen  to  be  written.  Nor 
does  the  Congregation  in  important  cases 
confine  itself  to  its  regular  consultors; 
whenever  it  seems  advisable,  the  services 
of  other  competent  critics  are  enlisted. 

All  the  members  of  the  Congregation  are 
bound  by  oath  to  keep  absolute  secrecy 
with  regard  to  every  detail  of  the  official 
transactions,  no  matter  whether  a  book  un- 
der discussion  is  finally  condemned  or  not. 
By  this  means  each  feels  more  free  in  giv- 
ing his  opinion,  and  the  reputation  of  the 
author  is  spared  as  long  and  as  much  as 
possible. 

9.    The  Spirit  of  the  Examiners. 

As  to  the  spirit  that  should  actuate  the 
examiners  of  publications,  some  further 
rules  are  laid  down  by  Benedict  XIV  in  the 
Bull  "  Sollicita  ac  provida  "  which  are  very 
instructive. 

"  Ipsos  .  .  .  monemus  ac  vehemen- 
ter  hortamur  ut  in  examine  iudicioque  lib- 


34  COMMENTARY 

rorunt  sequentes  regulas  diligenter  inspic- 
iant  accurateque  custodiant."  "  We  wish 
to  admonish  and  exhort  them  most  urgently 
to  study  carefully  and  observe  accurately 
the  following  rules  for  examining  and  judg- 
ing books : 

1.  Let  them  not  imagine  that  it  is  their 
duty  to  use  every  means  to  bring  about 
the  condemnation  of  the  books  submitted 
to  them.     They  ought  rather  to  study  such 
books   conscientiously,   without  passion  or 
anxiety   (sedato  animo),  in  order  to  fur- 
nish   such    well-found    observations,    such 
objective  reasons,  as  will  enable  the  Con- 
gregation to  pass  a  just  verdict. 

2.  Should  a  consultor  find  that  he  is  not 
competent   to   judge   a  book   which   he  is 
asked  to  examine,  let  him  know  that  he  will 
not  be  free  from  guilt,  either  before  God 
or  man,   unless  he  at  once  confesses  his 
incompetence.     Far  from  damaging  his  rep- 
utation with  the  pope  or  the  cardinals,  such 
an  avowal  will  rather  gain  their  esteem  and 
praise  for  his  straghtforwardness  and  hon- 
esty. 

3.  Let  them  set  aside  absolutely  all  prej- 


SPIRIT  OF  THE  EXAMINERS         35 

udice  in  favor  of  nation,  family,  school  or 
order;  let  them  relinquish  all  party  spirit, 
and  keep  before  their  minds  the  undoubted 
doctrine  of  the  Church,  as  laid  down  in  the 
decrees  of  the  councils,  in  papal  documents, 
etc.,  knowing  that  there  are  opinions  that, 
while  they  seem  certain  to  one  nation, 
school,  or  order,  are,  with  the  knowledge 
of  the  Holy  See,  opposed  by  others;  the 
Holy  See  leaving  all  these  opinions  in  their 
degree  of  probability. 

4.  It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that 
it  is  impossible  to  judge  fairly  the  meaning 
of  a  passage,  unless  the  entire  book  is  stud- 
ied,   and    unless    the    various    statements 
found  in   different  sections  are  compared 
with  one  another,  and  the  whole  purpose  of 
the  book  is  steadily  kept  in  view. 

5.  If  an  author  who  enjoys  the  reputa- 
tion   of    sound    theological    learning,    has 
used   expressions   which   might   be   under- 
stood in  a  wrong  as  well  as  in  a  right  mean- 
ing, fairness  demands  that  they  be,  as  far 
as  possible,  interpreted  in  his  favor. 

These  and  similar  rules     .     .     .     must 
be  kept  before  the  minds  of  the  consultors, 


36          FURTHER  EXPLANATIONS 

in  order  that  they  may  have  due  regard  for 
their  own  conscience,  the  good  name  of  au- 
thors, the  interests  of  the  Church,  and  the 
welfare  of  souls." 

10.     Further  Explanations. 

A.    Why  an  Author  is  Not  Permitted  to  Defend 
His  Book. 

If  an  author  could  accompany  every  copy 
of  his  work  that  leaves  the  bookstore  or 
library,  he  would  be  able  to  explain  ob- 
scure passages  and  to  show  what  meaning 
he  wished  doubtful  phrases  to  convey  to 
the  reader.  It  is  precisely  because  he  can- 
not multiply  himself  that  he  employs  print- 
er's ink  to  convey  his  ideas  to  others.  It 
must,  therefore,  be  supposed  that  his  words 
mean  what  he  intends  to  say.  The  reader, 
at  any  rate,  has  no  corrective.  He  has 
only  the  book,  not  the  author  to  fall  back 
upon.  It  is  impossible  to  recur  to  the  au- 
thor when  there  is  question  of  the  correct- 
ness or  incorrectness  of  a  book.  If  the  au- 
thor has  to  be  called  upon  to  explain  the 
meaning  of  his  book,  he  should  have  left  it 
unprinted. 


AUTHORS 


37 


Moreover,  it  is  hardly  credible,  as  Pope 
Benedict  XIV  points  out,  that  anything  an 
author  might  advance  in  his  favor,  should 
escape  so  many  examiners  without  receiv- 
ing due  attention  and  emphasis. 

The  whole  procedure  is  primarily  not  in- 
tended as  a  measure  against  the  author, 
although  pecuniary  loss  may  ensue,  but  to 
protect  the  faithful.  A  condemnation  is 
rather  a  warning  to  the  would-be  reader, 
than  a  punishment  inflicted  upon  the  au- 
thor. It  is  not  an  act  of  jurisdiction. 
Were  the  author's  personal  views  under 
investigation,  he  would  be  summoned  per- 
sonally before  another  tribunal  and  tried 
according  to  a  method  that  would  give 
him  the  amplest  opportunity  to  defend  him- 
self. 

These  considerations  also  show  that  the 
condemnation  of  a  book  after  its  author's 
death  is  not  unreasonable.  A  book  remains 
what  it  is  independently  of  its  author.  Nor 
would  it  change  the  nature  of  a  book  were 
the  author  afterwards  to  prove  his  ortho- 
doxy to  the  satisfaction  of  the  authorities, 
or  to  do  penance  in  sackcloth  and  ashes, 


38          FURTHER  EXPLANATIONS 

or  for  the  rest  of  his  mortal  life  consort 
with  the  Trappists.  Were  it  morally  cer- 
tain, however,  that  almost  all  the  copies  of 
a  book  were  destroyed,  a  prohibitory  decree 
would  fail  of  its  purpose. 

B.     The  Index   Does  Not  Advertise  Bad   Books. 

Now  and  then  there  is  expressed  an  ap- 
prehension lest  the  Index,  far  from  sup- 
pressing, rather  advertises  bad  books  and 
arouses  a  desire  to  read  them.  It  is  even 
maintained  that  in  some  cases  evil-minded 
authors  have  intentionally  written  so  as  to 
get  their  books  put  on  the  Index. 

Now,  every  prohibitory  law  may  have 
the  effect  of  increasing  the  inclination  of 
men  towards  the  prohibited  thing  or  act. 
Thus  a  person  may  possibly  feel  a  stronger 
appetite  for  meat  on  Friday  than  on  any 
other  day  of  the  week.  We  have  inherited 
this  tendency  from  Eve,  who,  when 
tempted,  saw  that  the  forbidden  fruit  "  was 
good  to  cat  and  fair  to  the  eye  and  delight- 
ful to  behold,"  and  then  proceeded  to  vio- 
late the  first  prohibitory  law  ever  given. 


INDEX  DOES  NOT  ADVERTISE 


39 


But  is  that  a  reason  to  do  away  with  every 
prohibitory  law? 

Who  does  not  see  at  once  that  the  Index 
must  prove  a  very  poor  advertising  me- 
dium ?  Those  who  have  it  are  certainly  not 
the  prospective  buyers  of  immoral  novels 
or  of  works  which  propagate  heretical 
views  in  theology;  while  those  who  hanker 
after  sensationalism  or  doubtful  theology 
will  not  invest  $2.25  for  a  book  list  which 
contains,  e.  g.  for  the  year  1898,  fully  eight 
titles,  four  of  which  are  German,  and  for 
1903  fifteen,  all  French. 

This  side  of  the  question,  as  we  have  re- 
marked elsewhere,  is  also  in  each  case  care- 
fully weighed  by  the  Sacred  Congregation, 
before  it  resolves  upon  a  prohibition. 

Even  if  the  sale  of  a  book  should  be  in- 
creased by  the  fact  of  its  condemnation,  the 
Index  would  nevertheless  achieve  its  main 
purpose,  namely,  to  warn  the  faithful  that 
the  ideas  advocated  in  the  proscribed  book 
are  contrary  to  faith  and  morals.  This  is 
enough  for  all  men  of  good  will  to  enable 
them  to  shun  the  poison.  Those  who  re- 
fuse to  heed  the  warning  will  have  to  blame 


40  FEAR  OF  APOSTASIES 

their  own  ignorance  or  malice  if  the  read- 
ing of  a  condemned  book  results  in  spirit- 
ual hurt. 


C.    Index    Decisions    Not    Omitted    for    Fear    of 
Apostasies. 

A  book,  we  are  reminded,  often  repre- 
sents the  opinions  not  only  of  its  author, 
but  of  many  of  his  disciples  and  admirers. 
By  forbidding  it  and  thus  branding  such 
opinions  as  erroneous,  it  is  said,  many  in- 
fluential men  may  become  embittered  and 
may  even  be  driven  into  an  attitude  of  open 
hostility. 

However,  the  Church  is  in  duty  bound 
to  exercise  her  guardianship;  which  she 
cannot  do  if  every  one  is  to  have  his  own 
way.  Nor  can  the  Church  neglect  the  mass 
of  her  children  in  order  to  accommodate 
this  or  that  coterie  or  school,  whose  opin- 
ions are  manifestly  wrong. 

Moreover,  to  be  a  trustworthy  guide,  the 
Church  must  state  the  truth  clearly  and  un- 
mistakably. The  faithful  are  not  guided 
by  ambiguous  circumlocutions,  by  terms 
that  may  be  understood  in  two  or  perhaps 


THE  "GOOD  CATHOLIC"  4I 

more  ways.  Neither  may  she  keep  exclu- 
sively in  the  lofty  heights  of  theory;  but 
she  must  instruct  with  regard  to  the  facts 
of  everyday  life.  The  dangers  arising  from 
books  are  concrete  not  abstract,  and  they 
must  be  met  by  concrete  measures.  This 
can  be  done  effectively  only  by  an  ener- 
getic and  unmistakable  "  thou  shalt  not," 
which  makes  men  realize  that  they  are 
"  under  authority." 

No  one  has  ever  stated  the  truth  more 
clearly,  more  unmistakably  than  Christ  our 
Lord.  Was  it  not  precisely  for  this  very 
fact  that  "  many  of  His  disciples  went  back 
and  walked  no  more  with  him"?  (John 
6,  67.) 

D.     The  "Good  Catholic." 

"  I  am  a  Catholic.  I  live  up  to  my  re- 
ligion and  go  regularly  to  the  sacraments. 
I  have  had  a  good  Catholic  education  and 
hear  a  sermon  every  Sunday.  I  do  not 
see  why  I  should  be  afraid  to  read  any 
book,  even  if  it  belonged  to  those  forbid- 
den by  the  Index." 

You  may  do  so;  but  you  may  fare  in 


42          FURTHER  EXPLANATIONS 

consequence  as  David  fared  —  David  who 
was  a  saint  and  yet  committed  adultery 
and  murder.  If  you  read  a  forbidden  book 
without  permission,  you  are  as  good  a  Cath- 
olic as  one  who  eats  meat  on  Friday.  The 
object  of  the  law  of  abstinence  is  to  make 
sure  that  every  Christian  performs  at  least 
a  certain  minimum  of  penance.  Now  there 
are  saintly  persons  who,  in  imitation  of  our 
crucified  Savior,  do  more  penance  on  ordi- 
nary days  than  the  average  Catholic  does  by 
abstaining  from  meat  on  twenty  or  more 
Fridays;  and  yet  they  are  not  exempted 
from  the  law  of  abstinence  and  would  be 
the  last  to  claim  such  an  exemption. 

Similarly  the  object  of  the  Index  is  to 
make  sure  that  every  Christian  avoids  at 
least  the  worst  books.  By  obeying  its  laws 
we  declare  that  our  standpoint  is  that  of 
the  Church  of  God.  This  result  cannot  be 
obtained  unless  the  prohibition  is  made  uni- 
versal, exempting  no  one,  no  matter  how 
pious  or  learned  he  may  be.  Therefore, 
all  Christians,  good  and  bad,  priests,  reli- 
gious and  lay  people,  students  and  profes- 
sors, unless  they  have  a  dispensation,  are 


A  MORTAL  SIN  43 

bound  by  the  ecclesiastical  laws  regarding 
books.  By  asking  for  a  dispensation  we  im- 
plicitly acknowledge  and  approve  of  the 
official  position  of  the  Church  on  the  sub- 
ject of  wicked  books,  and,  so  far  as  in  us 
lies,  ratify  and  sanction  the  reasons  which 
lead  to  their  condemnation. 

You  say  you  are  a  good  Catholic,  and 
therefore  this  law  does  not  bind  you.  Are 
there  any  commandments  of  the  Church 
that  bind  only  bad  Catholics  ? 

E.    A  Mortal  Sin. 

"  I  am  told  that  a  transgression  of  the 
Index  law  is  a  mortal  sin.  Can  it  be  true 
that  the  Church,  the  kindest  of  mothers, 
should  load  us  down  with  such  a  severe  ob- 
ligation ?  " 

According  to  the  theologians,  the  reading 
of  a  forbidden  book,  or  part  of  it,  is  a  mor- 
tal sin.  (See  p.  51,  Rule  i.)  The  selection 
of  the  books  on  which  our  souls  feed  is  a 
matter  of  no  small  importance.  True,  the 
Church  is  the  kindest  of  mothers ;  but  she  is 
also  the  wisest.  To  direct  the  consciences 
of  her  children  and  "  to  restrain  them  from 


44         FURTHER  EXPLANATIONS 

the  reading  of  bad  books  as  front  a  deadly 
poison/'  is  the  great  object  of  her  legisla- 
tion. Under  the  leadership  of  a  master- 
mind like  that  of  Leo  XIII,  the  Roman 
authorities  have  labored  for  years  in  formu- 
lating the  present  ecclesiastical  laws  about 
books.  These  laws  are  the  voice  of  the  su- 
preme pastor,  the  successor  of  St.  Peter. 
Let  us  not  spurn  it  like  the  heathen  and  the 
publican. 

F.     The  Galileo  Case. 

The  Roman  Congregations  are  no  more 
infallible  than  our  bishops  and  pastors. 
And  yet  there  is  practically  but  one  case, 
during  more  than  three  centuries,  in  which 
they  are  accused  of  having  made  a  mis- 
take. It  is  the  condemnation,  by  both  the 
Holy  Office  and  the  Index,  of  Galileo  Gal- 
ilei (died  1639)  for  defending  the  theory 
that  the  earth  moves  around  its  own  axis 
and  around  the  sun. 

This  teaching  was  according  to  the  com- 
mon belief  of  Catholics  and  Protestants,  at 
that  time,  clearly  opposed  to  Holy  Scrip- 
ture, which  the  Church  was  bound  to  vindi- 


THE  GALILEO  CASE  45 

cate.  If  Galileo's  theory  was  true,  the  tra- 
ditional interpretation  of  sundry  Bible  texts 
would  have  had  to  be  abandoned. 

The  Church  had  weighty  reasons  for  not 
allowing  this.  The  new  theory  was  not 
at  all  certain.  Galileo  himself  admitted  he 
could  not  establish  more  than  a  probability. 
Several  very  obvious  objections  he  was 
unable  to  explain  satisfactorily.  None  of 
the  real  proofs  used  in  our  days  were 
known  to  him.  He  was  told  by  the  Jesuit 
Cardinal  Bellarmin,  if  he  could  advance  any 
convincing  proof  for  his  theory,  the  tradi- 
tional interpretation  of  those  passages 
would  be  given  up.  But  all  Galileo  had 
to  offer  was  an  ingenious  hypothesis.  Had 
he  advocated  it  as  such  with  due  respect 
for  the  time-honored  interpretation  of  the 
Book  of  Books,  had  he  not  used  bold,  some- 
times bitter  and  defying  language,  no  steps 
would  have  been  taken  against  him,  who 
had  until  then  been  a  favorite  of  the  pope 
and  of  many  dignitaries.  As  matters  stood, 
"  the  Church  could  wait  for  the  elucidation 
of  a  physical  system,  but  she  could  not 
allow  a  change  in  the  universally  accepted 


46          FURTHER  EXPLANATIONS 

interpretation  of  Scripture,  before  the  ne- 
cessity of  such  a  change  was  proved." 
( Guggenberger,  History  of  the  Christian 
Era.  Vol.  II,  pp.  456,  etc.)  The  decree 
was  repealed  in  1757  (Cath.  Encycl.  under 
"Boscovich"). 

"  The  marvelous  unanimity  of  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Church  in  concentrating  all 
their  attacks  against  the  Roman  Congrega- 
tion on  the  case  of  Galileo,  is  a  striking  neg- 
ative testimony  to  the  value  of  the  decis- 
ions of  courts  which  have  been  at  work  for 
centuries." 


G.    State  and  Protestant  Book  laws. 

As  we  have  already  remarked,  Henry 
VIII  continued  his  policy  of  proscribing 
books  opposed  to  his  views  long  after  he 
had  constituted  himself  the  head  of  the 
English  Church.  Between  1526  and  1546 
there  were  issued  by  the  King's  authority 
nine  catalogues  of  books  which  English- 
men were  forbidden  to  read.  Among  these 
books  were  the  works  of  the  continental 
"  reformers  " ;  for  some  years  the  English 


STATE  AND  PROTESTANT  LAWS   47 

Bible;  also  writings  against  the  King's 
matrimonial  projects. 

The  Protestants  on  the  continent  fol- 
lowed the  same  system.  Calvin  condemned 
a  Spanish  physician,  who  happened  to  come 
to  Geneva,  to  be  burned  at  the  stake,  be- 
cause he  had  written  a  heretical  book.  The 
Protestant  princes  and  republics  had  each 
its  special  book-legislation,  which  was  made 
to  serve  not  only  religious  but  also  political 
purposes. 

After  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, in  almost  all  Catholic  countries,  the 
civil  power  usurped  the  monopoly  of  pro- 
scribing books,  and  practiced  it  in  a  truly 
despotic  way.  Thus  in  Austria  639  books 
were  forbidden  within  five  years.  No  book 
was  allowed  to  be  printed  without  previous 
permission,  not  even  on  forestry  or  cattle- 
raising.  Bishops  were  severely  reproved 
for  enforcing  the  prohibitions  of  the  Ro- 
man Index  in  their  seminaries. 

Napoleon  I  had  a  publisher  shot,  prac- 
tically without  trial,  for  issuing  a  work 
contrary  to  his  political  plans.  One  book 
was  publicly  burned  because  it  contained 


48          FURTHER  EXPLANATIONS 

the  picture  of  Pius  VII.  To  enable  the 
authorities  to  control  the  book  trade  more 
effectively,  no  printing  establishment  was 
allowed  to  have,  in  Paris  more  than  four, 
and  in  the  provinces  more  than  two,  presses. 
Needless  to  remark,  the  civil  authorities 
have  the  right  to  prohibit  books  that  se- 
riously endanger  the  common  welfare.  If 
they  use  this  right  in  a  reasonable  way, 
their  measures  are  likely  to  bring  about 
good  and  prevent  evil.  We  all  have  occa- 
sional opportunities  to  observe  this  in  the 
measures  taken  against  immoral  literature 
by  the  police  or  the  post-office  department. 

H.     Some  Examples  of  Submission  to  the  Index. 

The  first  Roman  Index,  that  of  1559,  was 
considered  rather  severe.  One  of  the  influ- 
ential men  who  tried  hard  to  have  its  pro- 
visions softened,  was  Blessed  Peter  Can- 
isius,  the  "  Second  Apostle  of  Germany." 
Yet  the  very  letters  he  wrote  to  Rome  for 
this  purpose  show  that  he  scrupulously  ob- 
served all  the  regulations,  though  he  him- 
self, called  the  "  Hammer  of  Heretics," 


EXAMPLES  OF  SUBMISSION         49 

surely  incurred  little  personal  risk  by  read- 
ing forbidden  books. 

About  1698,  a  book  by  Archbishop  Fene- 
lon  was  under  investigation  at  Rome.  Fe- 
nelon  was  a  great  scholar  and  one  of  the 
greatest  preachers  of  all  centuries,  but  he 
was  also  a  loyal  son  of  the  Church.  He 
knew  a  condemnation  of  his  book  would 
mean  his  own  condemnation  in  the  eyes  of 
Catholic  France.  His  friends  as  well  as 
his  antagonists  were  eagerly  awaiting 
Rome's  decision.  At  last  the  verdict  was 
pronounced  in  the  most  solemn  way  by  the 
Pope  himself,  and  it  was  a  condemnation. 
The  great  archbishop  was  just  ascending  his 
pulpit,  March  25,  1699,  when  his  brother 
broke  the  news  to  him.  Without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation  he  proceeded  to  read  to 
his  own  flock  the  papal  document  and 
preached  an  eloquent  sermon  on  the  obedi- 
ence every  Christian  owes  to  his  superiors. 
We  can  imagine  what  a  profound  im- 
pression his  words  must  have  made.  His 
was  a  truly  heroic  example  of  self-abnega- 
tion. 

In  1 86 1  there  died  in  Munich  Ernest  von 


50         EXAMPLES  OF  SUBMISSION 

Lasaulx,  a  famous  professor  of  the  Univer- 
sity. In  his  writings  he  had  now  and  then 
been  very  bold,  and  it  was  rumored  that  the 
Congregation  of  the  Index  thought  of  cen- 
suring some  of  his  books.  Von  Lasaulx 
knew  this.  A  few  weeks  before  his  death 
he  made  an  implicit  retraction  of  the  errors 
he  might  have  involuntarily  committed, 
which  was  forwarded  to  Rome  by  his 
friends.  Even  some  years  earlier  he  had 
declared  that  he  had  never  intended  to  con- 
travene the  doctrine  of  the  Church,  but 
that  he  feared  there  were  many  errors  in 
his  books.  "  If  Rome  would  think  it  ad- 
visable to  put  my  books  on  the  Index,  I 
should  consider  the  verdict  perfectly  just, 
since  I  firmly  believe  that  such  measures 
are  truly  in  the  interest  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  our  times."  Four  of  his  books 
were  really  condemned  after  his  death. 

In  July,  1906,  an  Italian  novel,  //  Santo, 
(The  Saint)  by  Fogazzaro,  was  put  on  the 
Index.  The  author  "  submitted  himself." 
An  American  edition  of  the  book  had  mean- 
while appeared ;  "  but  the  prohibition  by  the 
Roman  authorities  was  duly  respected  by 


EXAMPLES  OF  SUBMISSION         51 

the  publishers  of  the  leading  Catholic  papers 
of  America,  which  declined  to  accept  adver- 
tisements of  the  book"  (Putnam.) 

Under  date  of  June  12,  1911,  the  Con- 
gregation of  the  Index  proscribed  three 
writings  of  Dr.  Ottokar  Prohaszka,  Bishop 
of  Stuhlweissenburg,  in  Hungary,  a  prelate 
highly  esteemed  for  his  zeal  and  energy. 
The  news  caused  great  commotion,  and  peo- 
ple eagerly  looked  forward  to  some  ex- 
planation from  the  bishop.  They  did  not 
have  long  to  wait.  On  June  24  appeared  a 
pastoral  letter  in  which  the  bishop  declared : 
"  Since  we  acknowledge  the  Holy  See  to  be 
the  supreme  teaching  authority  and  obey 
the  decisions  and  directions  of  its  central 
organs,  I  comply  with  my  duty  by  submit- 
ting to  the  judgment  of  the  Holy  See,  and 
respectfully  heeding  the  directions  of  the 
supreme  teacher  in  the  present-day  conflict 
of  truth  with  error,  withdraw  my  books 
from  the  market."  (Cath.  Fortnightly  Re- 
view, Vol.  1 8,  page  48.) 


SECTION  II 

A  SUMMARY  OF  THE  INDEX 

i.    Our  Duties  in  Relation  to  Forbidden 
Books. 

Rule  r.  We  are  not  allowed  to  read  any 
forbidden  publication. 

Father  Genicot,  S.J.,  a  reliable  and  mod- 
erate theologian,  says :  "  Were  one  to 
read  only  a  few  lines  which  he  sees  contain 
doctrine  directly  opposed  to  faith  or  good 
morals  "  (and,  it  must  be  understood,  in  a 
manner  highly  dangerous  to  the  average 
reader),  "he  would  sin  grievously.  But 
when  nothing  so  extraordinarily  harmful 
occurs,  good  moralists  hold  that  as  much 
as  six  pages  may  be  read  without  mortal 
sin."  He  also  quotes  the  opinion  of  F. 
Vermeersch,  a  very  good  authority,  that 
when  a  book  becomes  dangerous  only 
through  a  long  perusal  of  it,  quite  a  con- 
52 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      53 

siderable  portion  must  be  read  to  incur 
grievous  guilt,  and  that  the  reading  even  of 
a  great  portion  of  a  condemned  book  may 
be  excused  from  mortal  sin,  as  long  as  the 
part  read  is  not  injurious  in  itself  and  does 
not  tempt  one  to  read  further. 

As  to  forbidden  newspapers,  it  would  of 
course  be  a  mortal  sin  to  become  a  sub- 
scriber to  them  or  to  indulge  in  reading 
such  sections  as  are  especially  dangerous, 
though  each  of  them  may  not  be  very  long. 
Minor  offenses  would  be  venial  sins. 

Rule  2.  No  one,  whether  he  be  the 
owner  or  not,  is  allowed  to  keep  a  forbid- 
den book.  He  must  either  destroy  it  or 
give  or  sell  it  to  some  one  who  has  per- 
mission or  he  must  obtain  permission  for 
himself. 

Rule  3.  It  is  not  lawful  for  a  Catholic 
publisher  or  printer  to  issue  or  print,  or  re- 
print forbidden  books.  Nor  may  a  book- 
seller keep  such  books  in  stock,  unless  he 
has  obtained  leave  to  do  so;  and  he  may 
sell  them  only  to  those  whom  he  can 
reasonably  presume  to  have  permission  for 
their  perusal. 


54       SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

2.     Forbidden  Books. 

Rule  4.  General  Rule.  Translations  of 
a  forbidden  book  into  any  language  are  also 
forbidden,  if  they  faithfully  reproduce  the 
original. 

i.    The  General  Decrees  Prohibit  the  Follow- 
ing Publications. 

Rule  5,  a.  Books  defending  heresies, 
i.  e.  doctrines  contrary  to  divine  revelation. 

b.  Books    derogatory    to    God,    the 
Blessed  Virgin,  the  Saints. 

c.  Books  vilifying  the  sacraments,  the 
clerical  or  religious  state,  the  hierarchy,  the 
Church. 

Rule  6.  Books  professedly  treating  of, 
narrating  or  teaching  lewdness  and  obscen- 
ity. 

Rule  7.  Books  teaching  or  recommend- 
ing sorcery,  spiritism,  Christian  Science,  or 
other  superstitions. 

Rule  8.  Books  defending  as  lawful  or 
harmless,  Freemasonry,  divorce,  Socialism, 
suicide,  duelling. 

Rule  9.  Those  neiuspapers  and  periodi- 
cals which  not  merely  now  and  then,  but 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      55 

regularly  and  of  set  purpose,  attack  re- 
ligion or  morality,  or  propagate  anti-Catho- 
lic views. 

Rule  10.  The  following  classes  of  pub- 
lications require  the  approbation  of  the 
bishop  of  the  place  where  the  work  is  to  be 
published,  or  of  some  higher  authority, 
which  is  to  be  printed  in  the  beginning  or 
at  the  end  of  the  work  and  must  be  re- 
newed for  every  new  edition. 

a.  Books  on  theology,  Church  history, 
canon  law,  natural  theology  and  ethics,  and 
all  editions  of  the  Bible  or  parts  of  it  in  any 
language. 

b.  Books  and  pamphlets  of  devotion,  re- 
ligious instruction,  and  practical  and  mys- 
tical piety. 

c.  Books,  pamphlets  and  leaflets,  printed 
or  reproduced  in  any  other  way,  which  re- 
late apparitions,  visions,  revelations,  mira- 
cles, etc.1  not  yet  passed  on  by  the  Church ; 
the  plea  that  they  are  destined  for  private 
circulation  does  not  exempt  these  publica- 
tions. 

1  This  prohibition  does  not  affect  newspapers, 
which  are  allowed  to  report  strange  and  uncom- 
mon occurrences  as  they  do  other  happenings. 


56      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

d.  Books,  pamphlets  and  leaflets,  which 
give  catalogues  of  indulgences  or  new 
grants  of  them;  also  all  writings  which 
treat  of  subjects  that  are  evidently  of  un- 
usual importance  for  faith  or  morals  at  the 
time  being. 

Without  ecclesiastical  approbation  the 
publications  mentioned  under  b  and  c  as 
well  as  all  Bible  editions  in  the  vernacular 
are  forbidden,  though  they  may  have  been 
issued  by  most  pious  and  learned  men. 
The  failure  to  obtain  the  approbation  for 
the  rest  that  fall  under  rule  10  would  be  a 
sin  for  the  author  (and  publisher),  but  the 
works  themselves  would  not  be  forbidden, 
provided  they  are  not,  on  account  of  their 
contents,  proscribed  by  other  rules. 

An  author  who  is  a  member  of  a  reli- 
gious order  must  add  the  permission  of  his 
"  praelatus "  to  the  approbation  of  the 
bishop. 

NOTES 

Note  i.  Although  all  the  members  of  a  Catho- 
lic family  should  endeavor  to  keep  forbidden 
books  out  of  the  home,  the  head  of  the  household 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      57 

is  chiefly  responsible  before  God.  It  is  to  be  re- 
marked, however,  that  Catholic  librarians  or 
servants  do  not  violate  this  law,  by  keeping, 
handling  or  cataloguing  forbidden  books  for 
their  employer  in  the  latter's  house,  or,  for  in- 
stance, in  a  public  library. 

Note  2.  If  a  book  or  any  particular  issue  of 
a  forbidden  periodical  calls  for  a  speedy  public 
refutation,  and  if  permission  to  peruse  it  cannot 
be  waited  for,  any  educated  Catholic,  who  may 
be  reasonably  presumed  to  be  competent  to  refute 
it  by  lecture  or  newspaper  article,  may  read  such 
book  or  periodical  without  special  permission. 

Note  3.  In  all  other  cases,  each  and  every 
Catholic,  be  he  priest  or  layman,  professor  or 
student,  must  first  obtain  permission.  Neither 
piety,  nor  learning,  nor  position  exempts  one 
from  this  law.  The  permission  is  granted  by 
bishops  and  their  vicars  general,  who  can  also 
delegate  this  power  to  others.  When  asking  for 
this  permission  the  applicant  should  mention  the 
book  which  he  thinks  he  has  a  good  reason  to 
read. 

Note  4.  The  bishop's  approbation  is  commonly 
given  in  the  Latin  word  Imprimatur,  "  it  may  be 
printed,"  or  some  similar  expression,  over  the 
date  and  his  own  signature  or  that  of  his  vicar 
general.  The  formula  Nihil  obstat,  "  there  is  no 
objection,"  is  as  a  rule  only  the  verdict  of  the 
censor  deputatus,  the  priest  who  was  commis- 
sioned by  the  bishop  to  examine  the  book.  Catho- 


58      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

lie  books  are  sometimes  reprinted  or  translated 
from  other  languages  by  Protestants,  who  not  un- 
frequently  change  the  text  to  suit  their  own  er- 
rors, for  instance  the  excellent  "Imitation  (Fol- 
lowing) of  Christ."  The  bishop's  Imprimatur  is 
always  the  test  of  orthodoxy.  Books  printed  be- 
fore the  promulgation  of  the  bull  Officiorum  ac 
Munerum  in  1897  and,  contrary  to  Rule  10,  not 
furnished  with  the  Imprimatur,  need  not  be  con- 
sidered as  forbidden,  provided  they  are  really 
good.  (Ojetti  II,  p.  162.) 

Note  5.  The  legislation  of  the  Church  con- 
cerns itself  chiefly  with  BOOKS  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word,  i.  e.  with  publications  which 
have  been  multiplied  by  the  process  called  (type-) 
printing,  which  are  too  bulky  to  be  designated 
pamphlets  in  ordinary  speech,  and  which  do  not 
consist  of  detached  sections  but  form  one  or- 
ganic whole.  Therefore  neither  pamphlets  nor 
leaflets  nor  any  publications  reproduced  by  hand- 
writing or  authographing  or  similar  methods  will 
fall  under  the  ecclesiastical  prohibition  unless 
they  are  expressly  included,  as  in  Rule  10,  or  for- 
bidden by  particular  decrees.  If  several  pamph- 
lets treating  of  different  subjects  are  bound  to- 
gether they  will  make  up  a  "volume"  but  not  a 
"book."  Of  course  this  does  not  free  from  the 
ban  of  the  Church  the  bound  volumes  of  the 
periodicals  which  are  forbidden  by  Rule  9,  be- 
cause there  is  in  them  both  bulk  and  unity 
enough  to  make  them  "books."  (Noldin,  S.J. 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      59 

De  Praeceptis,  n.  690.)  If  on  the  other  hand,  a 
forbidden  book  is  bound  together  with  others,  the 
entire  volume  is  prohibited.  If  a  book  or  volume 
is  prohibited  on  account  of  one  or  another  ob- 
jectionable passage,  the  prohibition  ceases  as  soon 
as  these  passages  are  destroyed  or  rendered 
illegible. 

Note  6.  It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  Church 
that  the  prohibition  be  understood  to  include  the 
reading  of  small  sections  torn  or  cut  from  pro- 
hibited works  or  the  perusing  of  articles  clipped 
from  forbidden  newspapers,  even  if  it  would  be 
unlawful  to  read  the  same  amount  of  matter 
while  still  in  the  book  or  paper. —  Nor  is  a  sin 
against  the  law  of  the  Church  committed  by  listen- 
ing to  the  reading  of  proscribed  publications,  or 
by  witnessing  a  play  which  is  the  dramatization 
of  a  prohibited  novel.  Finally,  productions 
printed  or  otherwise  multiplied,  which  are  meant 
to  be  private  communications  and  can  in  no  way 
be  said  to  be  "  published,"  do  not  fall  under 
the  law  of  the  Church. 

Yet,  as  explained  on  pp.  18,  etc.,  this  does  not 
do  away  with  the  duty  of  spiritual  self-preserva- 
tion; unless  a  person  is  excused  by  a  reason 
which  is  in  proportion  to  the  personal  danger, 
and  unless  scandal  is  excluded,  such  a  listening  or 
reading  is  always  a  fault  and  may  become  a 
serious  violation  of  a  natural  law,  which  binds  us 
independently  of  all  Church  legislation. 

Note  7.    In  case  a  prohibited  work  consists 


6o      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

of  several  volumes  which  form  but  one  organic 
whole,  as  the  sundry  volumes  of  a  novel,  each  of 
them  is  forbidden;  otherwise  only  those  are  pro- 
scribed, which  contain  the  objectionable  matter. 
The  volumes  of  a  large  history  of  the  world  or 
similar  works  treat  of  matters  sufficiently  dif- 
ferent to  make  each  an  independent  book.  (Geni- 
cot,  Theol.  Mor.  I.,  page  404.) 

The  phrase  ALL  WORKS  includes  each  and 
every  book  on  religion  by  the  respective  author, 
but  only  those  other  publications  which  either 
are  forbidden  by  special  decrees  or  evidently 
fall  under  one  of  the  general  decrees.  (Ver- 
meersch,  De  Prohib.  et  Cens.  Libror.  §45.)  This 
explains  the  exceptions  under  Dumas  and  Zola. 

Note  8.  There  is  a  kind  of  publications  now 
perhaps  more  common  than  ever:  the  antholo- 
gies, which  are  made  up  of  selections  from 
various  authors.  They  are  arranged  from  a 
literary  or  historical  or  some  other  view-point,  or 
simply  alphabetically.  Are  such  collections  for- 
bidden to  the  Catholic,  if  they  contain  writings 
from  proscribed  authors?  The  principles  ex- 
plained above  will  give  the  answer.  Any  volume 
of  them  is  forbidden  which  contains  at  least  one 
selection  taken  from  one  individual  author  in 
which  the  description  of  "  book "  given  in  Note 
5  is  verified,  and  as  stated  in  Rule  i,  the  removal 
of  the  objectionable  section  would  also  remove 
the  prohibition. 

Note  9.    Though  not  necessary,  it  is  highly  ad- 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      6 1 

visable  to  obtain  the  bishop's  sanction  for  pious 
leaflets  as  well,  and  were  it  only  to  forestall 
the  just  suspicions  of  conscientious  Catholics. 
(Wernz,  Jus  Deer.  II,  p.  127,  note  74.)  It  is 
gratifying  that  one  comes  across  very  few  if  any 
of  such  leaflets  in  this  country  which  have  not 
been  submitted  to  higher  authority  before  publi- 
cation. On  the  other  hand  there  is  no  reason  to 
extend  this  caution  to  the  usual  First  Mass  me- 
mento pictures  or  the  customary  mourning  cards, 
as  long  as  the  prayers,  indulgenced  or  not,  that  are 
printed  on  them  have  been  taken  from  approved 
sources. 

Note  10.  All  editions  of  the  Bible,  issued  by 
no n- Catholics,  in  ancient  as  well  as  in  modern 
languages,  are  permitted  to  those  and  those  only, 
who  are  engaged  in  serious  theological  or  Biblical 
studies,  provided,  however,  that  the  PROLEGO- 
MENA and  annotations  do  not  of  set  purpose 
impugn  the  Catholic  faith. 

Note  n.  An  exception  has  also  been  made  in 
favor  of  those  classics,  ancient  and  modern, 
which  on  account  of  their  obscenity  fall  under 
Rule  6.  In  as  far  as  they  are  models  of  style 
they  may  be  read  by  persons  engaged  in  teaching 
university  or  higher  college  classes  of  literature, 
by  those,  who  are  preparing  for  such  a  position 
in  the  near  future  and  by  those  who,  on  account 
of  their  profession,  e.  g.  as  critics  or  authors  of 
literary  works,  cannot  well  do  without  them. 

Note    12.    Whenever    we    know    or    discover 


62       SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

while  reading  that  a  work  undoubtedly  belongs 
to  any  of  the  above  mentioned  classes  of  forbid- 
den publications,  we  may  be  sure  that  our  Holy 
Mother,  the  Church,  does  not  wish  to  see  it  in 
our  hands,  and  we  must  then  act  according  to 
the  words  of  Christ :  "  He  who  heareth  you 
heareth  Me,  and  he  who  despiseth  you  despiseth 
Me."  No  need  of  first  looking  up  the  catalogue 
of  prohibited  books;  whether  the  volume  in  ques- 
tion is  mentioned  there  or  not,  makes  no  dif- 
ference. Nor  does  it  matter  what  the  literary 
character  of  the  book  is.  An  apparently  learned 
history  of  the  seizure  of  Rome  in  1870,  written 
with  the  obvious  intention  of  maligning  Pius  IX, 
is  forbidden  just  as  well  as  a  novel  composed  for 
the  same  purpose,  or  the  prayer  book  of  some 
Protestant  sect. 

Note  13.  All  who  are  dispensed  from  the 
Church  law  regarding  forbidden  books,  must  use 
every  precaution,  not  to  suffer  injury  to  their 
faith  or  purity  of  heart.  Such  precautions  are: 
the  hearing  of  sermons,  the  reading  of  Catholic 
books,  the  frequenting  of  Catholic  society,  regu- 
lar prayers,  and  above  all  the  humble  reception 
of  the  sacraments.  The  same  holds  good  as  to 
those  objectionable  publications  which  on  account 
of  their  smallness  or  for  other  reasons  escape 
ecclesiastical  prohibition.  By  reading  them  one 
would  not  violate  a  positive  law,  but  he  may 
seriously  endanger  his  soul,  which  is  a  sin  in 
itself.  Only  a  grave  reason  can  induce  us  to  pe- 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      63 

ruse  such  productions.  All  that  has  been  said  in 
the  chapter  "  Duties  Imposed  by  Law  and  by 
Nature"  applies  to  them.  Faithful  Catholics  will 
make  no  difference,  neither  for  themselves  nor 
for  those  entrusted  to  their  care,  between  these 
publications  and  those  expressly  prohibited.  "  He 
who  touches  pitch  shall  be  defiled  by  it."  (Eccli. 
13,  i.) 


2.    Books   Forbidden   by   Particular    Decrees. 

The  following  list  contains  a  number  of 
titles  which  it  might  be  practical  for  Eng- 
lish Catholics  to  know.  Nearly  all  those 
put  on  the  Index  during  the  last  few  years 
have  been  mentioned,  because  they  contain 
the  palmary  heresy  of  our  times,  namely: 
Modernism,  and  among  its  various  errors 
especially  the  un-Christian  treatment  of  the 
Bible.  Some  of  these  books  have  been  and 
others  may  soon  be  translated  into  English. 
Their  titles  as  well  as  those  of  most  other 
foreign  books  are  given  in  English.  Place 
and  date  of  publication  have  been  added  to 
those  prohibited  after  the  appearance  of  the 
first  edition  of  this  booklet. 


Addison,  Jos.  Remarks  on  Several  Parts  of 
Italy. 

Adveniat  Regnum  Tuum.  (i)  Christian  Read- 
ings and  Prayers.  (2)  The  Christian's  Rit- 
ual. (3)  The  Christian  Year.  Rome,  1904-5. 

Annals  of  Christian  Philosophy,  founded  by.  A. 
Bonnetti,  Paris,  1905  to  1913. 

Avancini,  Damian.  Modernism.  A  Novel.  Mi- 
lan, 1913. 

Bacon,  Francis.  De  dignitate  et  augmentis  scien- 
tiarum.  (On  the  Dignity  and  Increase  of 
Science.) 

Balzac,  Honore  de.    All  novels. 

Batiffol,  Peter.  The  Eucharist,  the  Real  Pres- 
ence, Transsubstantiation.  Paris. 

Begey  and  Favero.  Records  and  Letters  of 
Archbishop  L.  Puecher-Passavalli,  1870-97. 
Milan,  Turin,  Rome,  1911. 

Bentham,  Jeremy.    Three  Tracts,  etc. 
Deontology  or  the  Science  of  Alorality. 

Bergson,  Henry.     Matter  and  Memory. 
Creative  Evolution. 
An  Essay  on  the  Immediate  Data  of  Conscience. 

Bingham,  Jos.  Origines  Ecclesiastics,  or  The 
Antiquities  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Blunt,  John  James.  Vestiges  of  Ancient  Man- 
ners and  Customs,  etc. 

Bois,  Jules.     Satanism. 

Bonnefoy,  J.  de.    The  Lessons  of  Defeat,  or  the 

End  of  Catholicism.     Paris,  1907. 
Towards  the  Unity  of  Belief.     Paris,  1907. 
The  Catholicism  of  To-morrow.     Paris,  1908. 

Bremond,  Henry.     Saint  Chantal.     Paris,  1912. 

Bruno,  Giordano.  The  Conflict  of  Religion, 
Morals  and  Science  in  Contemporary  Educa- 
tion. 

Bunsen,  Christian  Chas.  J.    Hippolytus  and  His 
64 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS       65 

Age,  or  the  Doctrine  and  Practice  of  the 
Church  of  Rome  under  Commodus  and 
Alexander  Severus,  etc. 

Buonaiuti,  Ernest.    Researches  in  Philology  and 
the  History  of  the  New  Testament.     Rome, 
1910. 
Genesis  of  the  Augustinian  Doctrine  on  Original 

Sin.     Rome,  1916. 
Saint  Augustine.     Rome,  1917. 

Bureau,  Paul.  The  Moral  Crisis  in  Modern 
Times.  Preface  by  M.  Alfred  Croiset. 

Burgess,  Richard.  Lectures  on  the  Insufficiency 
of  Unrevealed  Religion. 

Canal,  Melchior.  Elements  of  Concrete  Psy- 
chology and  Metaphysics.  Paris,  1907. 

Claraz,  Jules.  The  Marriage  of  the  Priests. 
Paris,  1911. 

Chouilly,  L.  The  Little  Citizen's  Note  Book :  A 
Summary  of  Morale  and  Civique  Instruction. 
Middle  and  Higher  Courses.  Verdun,  1910. 

Coube,  Stephen.    Jewish  Souls.     Paris. 

Coulevain,  Peter  de.  The  Wonderful  Novel. 
Paris. 

Cudworth,  Ralph.  The  True  Intellectual  System 
of  the  Universe,  etc. 

D'Annunzio,  Gabriele.     All  novels  and  dramas. 
Prose   Selections,   Milan. 

Darwin,  Erasmus.  Zoonomia  or  the  Laws  of 
Organic  Life. 

DeCauzons,  Th.  History  of  the  Inquisition  in 
France.  Paris,  1909. 

Denis,  Chas.    An  Apologetic  Lenten  Course  on 

the  Fundamental  Dogmas,  1903. 
Church  and  State:    The  Lessons  of  the  Pres- 
ent Hour,  1903. 

Descartes,  Rene.  Meditations  on  Original  Phi- 
losophy. 

Dimnet,  Ernest.    Catholic  Thought  in  England. 


66       SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

Db'llinger,    John    Joseph    Ignatius.    The    Pope 

and  the  Council. 
Janus. 
Dolonne,  Abbe.    The  Clergy  of  Our  Times  and 

Celibacy.     Paris. 
Draper,  John  William.    History  of  the  Conflicts 

Between  Religion  and  Science. 
Duchesne,  L.    Ancient  History  of   the  Church. 

Paris. 

Duggan,  James.     Steps  towards  Reunion. 
Dumas,  Alexander   (father  and  son).    All  nov- 
els, except  The  Count  of  Montecristo. 
Earle,  John  Chas.    The  Spiritual  Body. 
The     Forty     Days,     or     Christ     Between     His 

Resurrection  and  Ascension. 
Fenelon,  Francois  de  Salignac.    The  Principles 

of  the  Saints. 

Feracci,  Valeriano.    Biographical   Notes  on  the 
Servant   of   God   Paula   Mandatori-Sacchetti. 
Rome,  1905. 
Fernandez,    Angel    Pulido.     Spaniards    without 

Country.     Madrid,  1005. 
Ferriere,   fimile.    The   Soul   a   Function  of   the 

Brain. 

The  Apostles. 
Darwinism. 

The  Scientific  Blunders  of  the  Bible. 
Matter  and   Energy. 
Paganism  of  the  Hebrews. 
Life  and  Soul. 
The  Myths  of  the   Bible. 
Ffoulkes,  Edmund  S.     Christendom's  Divisions. 

The  Church's  Creed  or  the  Crown's  Creed. 
Fogazzaro,  Antonio.    The  Saint ;  Leilia.     (Nov- 
els). 
Forty-Five  Theses  concerning  the  Encyclical  on 

the  Workingman's  Unions.     Herford,  1912. 
Frohschammer,   Jacob.    Origin   of   the    Human 
Soul. 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      67 

Frohschammer.    Introduction  to  Philosophy. 

On  the  Liberty  of  Science. 

Christianity  and  Modern  Science. 

The  Right  of  One's  Own  Conviction. 

The  New  Knowledge  and  the  New  Faith. 
Funk,  Philip.    The  Church  of  the  Spirit.    Mu- 

nich, 1913. 
Gambia,  Louis.    Sociology.    Barcelona,  1909. 

Criminal  Sociology.     Barcelona,  1909. 

Criminal  Anthropology.     Barcelona,   1909. 

Criminal  Psychology  and  Anthropology.    Bar- 

celona, 1909. 
Gelli,  Sostene.     Psychology  of  Religion.    Rome, 


Georgel,    Michel.    Matter  :     Its    Deification,    Its 

Rehabilitation,  and  Its  Ultimate  Destiny. 
Germanicus,    Clericus.     (Pseudon.)     The   Anti- 

Modernist  Oath.     Augsburg,   1910. 
Giacomelli,    Antonietta.    For    the    Renewal    of 

Christian  Warfare.     Milan,  1913. 
Gibbon,  Edward.    History   of   the   Decline   and 

Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire. 
Goblet  d'Alviella,  Eug.    The  Idea  of  God. 
Goldsmith,    Oliver.    An    Abridged    History    of 

England  From  the  Invasion  of  Julius  Caesar 

to  the  Death  of  George  II. 
Gonzalez  Y  San.    Venancio,  The  Bankruptcy  of 

Protestantism. 
Graf,  Arthur.    The  Devil. 
Gregorovius,  Ferdinand.    History  of  the  City  of 

Rome  During  the  Middle  Ages. 
The  Sepulchral  Monuments  of  the  Popes. 
Urban  VIII  in  Opposition  to  Spain  and  the  Em- 

peror. 
Athenais:    The  History  of   a   Byzantine  Em- 

press. 
Wanderings  in  Italy  (fifth  volume),  Scenes  in 

Apulia. 
Guernica,    Juan    de.    The    Pearl    of    Havana: 


68      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

Sister   Mary  Anna  de  Jesus   Castro.    Sara- 
gossa,  1914. 
Hallam,  Henry.    The  Constitutional  History  of 

England,  etc. 

View  of  the  State  of  Europe  During  the  Mid- 
dle Ages. 

Heine,  Heinrich.    De  rAllemagne. 
De  la  France. 
Reisebilder. 
Neue  Gedichte. 

Herzog,  William.    The  Blessed  Virgin  in  His- 
tory.    Paris,   1908. 
Hilaire  de  Paris.    Exposition  of  the  Rule  of  St 

Francis. 

Hobbes,  Thomas.    All  works. 
Holzhey,  Karl.    Short  Textbook  of  the  Special 
Introduction  to  the  Old  Testament.     Pader- 
born,  1912. 

Houtin,  Albert.  The  Biblical  Question  among 
the  Catholics  of  France  in  the  XIX  Cen- 
tury. 

The  Biblical  Question  in  the  XX  Century. 
My  Troubles  with  My  Bishop. 
Americanism. 
The  Crisis  of  the  Clergy. 
Hugo,  Victor.     Notre  Dame  de  Paris. 

Les  Miserables. 

Humbert,  Augustine.    The  Beginnings  of  Mod- 
ern Theology.     Paris,  1910. 
Hume,  David.    All  works. 
James    I,   King   of    England.    Basilikon    doron 

(Royal  Gift)  divided  into  three  books. 
Triplici  nodo  triplex  cuneus,  etc. 
Meditatio  in  Orationem  dominicam. 
Meditatio   in  caput  XXVII   evangelii   S.   Mat- 

thaei. 

Kant,  Immanuel.     Critique  of  Pure  Reason. 
Keller,    Louis.    The    Spiritual    Foundations    of 
Masonry  and  the  Public  Life.     Todi,  1915. 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      69 

Koch,  Dr.  W.  and  Dr.  O.  Wecker.  Catholicism 
and  Christianity.  Rottenburg,  1910. 

Konrad,  Alois.  John  the  Baptist.  Gratz  and  Bi- 
enna,  1911. 

Laberthonniere,    Lucien.    Essays    on    Religious 

Philosophy. 

Christian  Realism  and  Grecian  Idealism. 
On  the  Way  to   Catholicism.     Paris,   1913. 
The  Testimony  of  the  Martyrs.     Paris,  1912. 

Lacaze,  Felix.    To  Lourdes  with  Zola. 

Lang,  Andrew.    Myth,  Ritual  and  Religion. 

Lasaulx,   Ernest   von.    Theological   foundations 

of  the  Systems  of  Philosophy. 
The  Prophetic   Power  of  the  Human  Soul  in 

Poets  and  Thinkers. 
Socrates'  Life,  Doctrine,  and  Death. 
New  Attempt  at  an  Old  Philosophy  of  History. 

Lasplasas.  A  baker's  dozen  of  writings,  printed 
1895-1907  at  San  Salvador,  on  a  great  variety 
of  subjects,  as,  Origin  of  Man,  Church  and 
State,  St.  Thecla,  Evolution,  Wisdom,  etc., 
and  finally  on  "  My  Concept  of  the  World." 

Lasserre,  Henri.    The  Holy  Gospels. 

Lefranc,  E.  (pseudonym).  The  Conflicts  of  Sci- 
ence and  the  Bible. 

Le  Morin,  Jean.    Truths  of  Yesterday? 

Lenau,  Nicolaus.    Die  Albigenser. 

Lenormant,  Frangois.  The  Beginnings  of  His- 
tory. 

LeRoy,    Edouard.    Dogma   and    Criticism. 

Letters  to  His  Holiness  Pope  Pius  X.  By  a 
Modernist.  Chicago,  1910. 

Locke,    John.    An    Essay    Concerning    Human 

Understanding. 
The  Reasonableness  of  Christianity,  etc. 

Loisy,  Alfred,  Gospel  Studies. —  The  Gospel  and 
the  Church. —  The  Fourth  Gpspel. —  Apropos 
of  a  Little  Book. —  The  Religion  of  Israel. 


70      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

Loriaux,  Henry.  The  Authority  of  the  Gospels, 
the  Fundamental  Question.  Paris,  1907. 

Maeterlinck,  Maurice.  All  works  (Prohibi- 
tion dated  Jan.  26,  1914.) 

Macaire,  C.  The  Divine  Constitution  of  the 
Church.  Geneva,  1913. 

Manaresi,  Alphonso.  The  Roman  Empire  and 
Christendom,  Vol.  I.  Rome,  1910. 

Mari,  Francis.    The  Fourth  Gospel.    Rome,  1910. 

Mariave,  Dr.  Henry.  The  Lesson  of  the  Hos- 
pital of  Notre-Dame  of  Ypres.  Exegesis  of 
the  Secret  of  La  Salette. 

Maurice,  Frederick  D.    Theological  Essays. 

Merkle,  Sebastian.  Past  and  Present  of  the 
Catholic  Theological  Faculties  (in  the  Uni- 
versities). Leipsic,  1912. 

Mill,  John  Stuart.  Principles  of  Political  Econ- 
omy. 

Milton,  John.  Literae  pseudo-senatus  Anglicani, 
Cromwellii  reliquorumque  perduellium  nom- 
ine conscriptae. 

Mivart,  St.  George.    Happiness  in  Hell. 

Montesquieu,  Chas.  de  Secondat  de.    The  Spirit 

of  the  Laws. 
Persian  Letters. 

Miiller,  Joseph.    Reform  Catholicism. 

Murri,  Romolo.    The  Problems  of  the  Italy  of 
To-day,  Vol.   I.    The  politics  of  the  Clergy 
and  Democracy.     Rome,  1908. 
Battles  of  To-day.    4  vols.     Rome,  1903-4. 
Democracy   and   Christianity;    General    Princi- 
ples.    Rome,  1906. 

Religious  Life  in  Christianity.     Rome,  1907. 
The  New  Philosophy  and  the  Encyclical  against 
Modernism.     Rome,   1908. 

Negri,  Ada.     Fatalism. 

Olive,  Jos.  Letters  to  the  Members  of  the  Pious 
and  Devout  Society  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus, 
etc. 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS      71 

Ormanian,  Malachia.    The  Armenian  Church,  its 

History,  Doctrine,  Government,  Liturgy;  Its 

Present.     Paris,  1910. 

Osborne,  Francis.    Miscellaneous  Works. 
Palmarini,    Mario.    Since    we    Shall    not    Die. 

(Novel.)     Milan,  1911. 

P.    A.    S.,   Catechism   of    Sacred   History.    Cre- 
mona, 1910. 
Payot,  Jules.    About  Faith. 

Before  Entering  Life. 
Petre,  M.  D.    Autobiography  and  Life  of  George 

Tyrrell.    London,  1912. 
Planchet,   Franc.    Regis.    Episcopal   Absolutism 

in  the  Mexican  Republic. 
Program  of  the  Modernists,  An  Answer  to  the 

Encyclical    of    Pius    X    "  Pascendi    Dominici 

Gregis."     Rome,  1908. 
Prohaszka,    Ottokar.    The    Limit    of    Intellect. 

Budapest,  1910. 
More  Peace.     1910. 
Modern   Catholicism.     (See  p.   50.)     Budapest, 

1907. 
Pufendorf,    Samuel    von.    Introduction    to    the 

History  of  the   Principal   States   of  Europe. 
(Also  four  Latin  works.) 

Quievreux,  Camille.     Paganism  in  the  XIX  Cen- 
tury. 
Ranke,    Leopold.    The    Roman    Popes:    Their 

Church    and    Their    State    in    the    XVI    and 

XVII  Centuries. 
Renan,  Ernest.    Practically  all  his  works   (the 

Index  names  nineteen). 
Renouf,  Peter  LePage.    The  Condemnation  of 

Pope  Honorius. 
Renzetti,   Louis.    Human   Struggles.    Novel  on 

Russian  Life.     Rome,  1911. 
Review   of   the   Science   of   Religions.    Rome. 

Press  of  the  Senate,  1916. 


72      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

Richardson,    Samuel     Pamela,    or    Virtue    Re- 
warded. 
Robertson,  Wm.    The  History  of  the  Reign  of 

the  Emperor  Charles  V. 
Rohling,  August.    The  Kingdom  of  the  Future. 

(Der  Zukunftsstaat.) 
Roscoe,  William.    The  Life  and  Pontificate  of 

Leo  X. 

Rosmini-Serbati,  Antonio.    The  Constitution  ac- 
cording to  Social  Justice. 
Of  the  Five  Wounds  of  Holy  Church. 
Rousseau,  Jean-Jacques.    Emile,  or  About  Edu- 
cation. 

The  Social   Contract. 
Letter  to  Christopher  de  Beaumont,  Archbishop 

of  Paris. 

Letters  Written  from  a  Mountain. 
Julia,  or  the  New  Helolise. 
Russo,    Fortunate.    The    Roman    Curia    in    its 

Organization  and  Complete  Workings. 
Sabatier,  Paul.    Life  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi. 
Saintyves,   P.    The   Intellectual   Reform   of   the 

Clergy  and  the  Freedom  of  Education. 
The  Saints  as  Successors  of  the  Gods. 
Miracles  and  Historical  Criticism. 
Miracles  and  Scientific  Criticism. 
Saltzmann,  A.    Divine   Remedies   for   Soul  and 

Body.     Paris  and   Brussels,   1912. 
Salvatorelli,  L.  (Ed.  E.  Hiihn).    The  Bible.    In- 
troduction to  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament. 
Milan. 

Sand,  George  (pseudonym).    All  novels. 
Schell,  Hermann.     Catholic  Dogma. 
Catholicism  as  a  Principle  of  Progress. 
The  Divine  Truth  of  Christianity. 
The  New  Time  and  the  Old  Faith. 
Scotti,    Tomaso    Gallarati.    History    of    Sacred 

Love  and  Profane  Love.     Milan,  1911. 
"  Scriptures,"   True   Science   of   the    Scriptures, 


SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 


73 


or:  the  Errors  of  Scholasticism  and  of  the 
Official  Instruction  of  the  Church  on  the 
True  Sense  of  the  Bible.  Annonay,  1909. 

Seymour,  Michael  H.    A  Pilgrimage  to  Rome. 

Smyth-Vaudry,  T.  C.  Pr.  The  Christ-Founded 
Order  of  the  Secular  Priesthood.  Montreal, 
1906. 

Soulie,  Frederic.    All  novels. 

Stendhal,  H.  B.  de.    All  novels. 

Sterne,  Lawrence.    A  Sentimental  Journey. 

Strauss,  David  F.    The  Life  of  Christ. 

Stroud,  William.  Treatise  on  the  Physical 
Cause  of  the  Death  of  Christ. 

Sue,  Eugene.    All  novels. 

Taine,  H.-A.    A  History  of  English  Literature. 

Ten  HompeL  Uditore  Heiner  and  the  Anti- 
Modernist  Oath.  Miinster,  1910. 

The  Priest.  A  Tale  of  Modernism  in  New  Eng- 
land. By  the  Author  of  Letters  to  H.  H. 
Pope  Pius  X.  Boston,  1911. 

Tolstoy,  Dmitry.     Roman  Catholicism  in  Russia. 

Turmel,   Joseph.    The   History   of   Dogma  and 
the  Papacy;  from  the  Beginning  to  the  End 
of  the  Fourth  Century.     Paris,  1908. 
History  of  the  Dogma  of  Original  Sin.    Macon, 

1900. 

Eschatology  at  the  End  of  the  Fourth  Century. 
History  of  Positive  Theology  from  the  Begin- 
ning to  the  Council  of  Trent.     Paris. 
History  of  Positive  Theology  from  the  Council 
of  Trent  to  the  Council  of  the  Vatican.    Paris. 
Tertullian.     Paris. 
Saint  Jerome.     Paris. 

Uribe  Uribe,  Raphael.  Why  the  Political  Lib- 
eralism of  Colombia  is  not  sinful.  Bogota, 
1912. 

Van  Dalsum,  H.  A.  There  is  no  Opposition  be- 
tween the  Principles  of  the  French  Revolution 
and  those  of  the  Gospel.  The  Hague,  1912. 


74      SUMMARY:    FORBIDDEN  BOOKS 

Vericour,  L.  R.  de.  Historical  Analysis  of 
Christian  Civilization. 

Viollet,  Paul.  The  Infallibility  of  the  Pope  and 
the  Syllabus. 

Vogrinec,  Anton.    Nostra  maxima  culpa. 

Voltaire,  F.-M.  Arouet.  Practically  all  his 
works. 

Vrai,  John,  Daybook  of  the  Papacy.  Paris, 
1904. 

What  has  been  made  of  the  Church,  a  study  in 
religious  history.  Paris. 

Whateley,  Richard.    Elements  of  Logic. 

White,  Thomas.    All  works. 

Wieland,  Francis.    "  Mensa  and  Confessio";  the 
Altar    in    the    Church    Before    Constantine. 
Munich,  1906. 
My  Work,  "  Mensa  and  Confessio "  and  Rev. 

Emil  Dorsch,  SJ.    Munich,  1908. 
The  Concept  of   Sacrifice  Before   St.   Irenaeus. 
Munich,  1009. 

Wiese,  Sigismund.    Jesus  (drama). 

X.  True  Science  of  the  Scriptures,  or:  The 
errors  of  Scholasticism  and  official  ecclesi- 
astical instruction  on  the  true  sense  of  the 
Bible.  Annonay,  1909. 

Zenner,  John  K.  The  Psalms  according  to  the 
Original  Text.  Completed  and  edited  by  H. 
Wiesmann.  Part  I.,  Translation  and  Expla- 
nation. Miinster,  1906. 

Zola,  fimile.    All  works,  except:     The  Dream. 

(Ob  rationes  pastorales  et  practicas  omissa 
est  tota  quaestio  de  incurrendis  censuris  ec- 
clesiasticis.) 


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tains a  number  of  good  lists  for  systematic 
reading  and  study. 

Books  and  Reading.  By  Brother  Azarias  of  the 
Chr.  Schools.  Several  chapters  of  general 
nature,  and  essays  on  six  classics.  (Cathedral 
Library  Association,  New  York,  $0.75.) 

Why,  When,  How,  and  What  We  Ought  to 
Read.  By  J.  L.  O'Neil,  O.  P.  (Benziger 
Brothers,  New  York,  $0.50.) 

Catalogue  of  all  The  Catholic  Books  in  Eng- 
lish, with  the  exception  of  pamphlets,  prayer- 
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Catholic  Book  Notes,  a  periodical  appearing 
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One  Hundred  Best  Catholic  Books.  (America 
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Introduction  to  Catholic  Reading.  By  J.  H. 
Richards,  S J.  A  classified  suggestive  list  of 
select  Catholic  Publications.  Single  copies 
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Reader's  Guide  to  Irish  Fiction.  By  S.  J. 
Brown,  S.J.  (Benziger  Brothers,  New  York, 


76  LITERARY  GUIDE  BOOKS 

Catholic  Literature  on  the  Social  Question.  An 
Introduction.  With  notes.  (Central  Bureau 
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Louis,  Mo.,  5  cents.) 

A  Partial  Bibliography  of  Church  History.  By 
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tary of  the  Cath.  Educational  Association,  the 
Rev.  F.  W.  Howard,  1651  East  Main  Street, 
Columbus,  Ohio. 

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Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Work.  Compiled 
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